During my first cursory listen I liked it, but what immediately jumped out at me was that it was much slower than their live performances are known to be. I sort of fetishize fast music (and really slow music), and 2 Shots for Bad Timing seemed almost dispassionate to me when I first heard it. I felt like it was nice to hear these songs, as I liked many of them, but also that it was an inferior version of what they do live.
I put the album down for a few weeks and my life changed significantly. Many of the fundamentally stable aspects of my life were drastically changed in a very short time and I found myself lonely for the first time since I was 17 years old. I was driving a long distance at night when The Hunger Artists’ 2 Shots for Bad Timing came on. What had been a night of dark blues and silvery grays out on a snow straddled I-25 blossomed into an onslaught of tropical pastels. Soft, opaque lime greens, sunset pinks, and powdery oranges filled my head for much of this album.
It wasn’t just the palette change which I appreciated on this second listen. It was the companionship that the album provided. No matter what incarnation The Hunger Artists are currently in two people form a constant unchanging core: Troy (lead vocals) and Thomas (guitar and back-up vocals). Recently, their shows have really only involved Troy and Thomas, and although they might feel less impressive as two people with just one instrument between them, that has always been my favorite way to see them. I think that is The Hunger Artists at their best. Despite the lush instrumental backgrounds present on 2 Shots of Bad Timing, Troy and Thomas sit nicely atop the sonic pile, their voices very present and very immediate. That’s really what makes this album shine, the strong presence that Thomas and Troy have on the album. If I had to describe this album in a single phrase it would be “pleasantly conversational”. It’s a perfect album for road trips, or long walks alone, because you’re not alone. They’re sitting in the car with you just saying whatever comes to mind. They are your commiserators for the evening.
I put the album down for a few weeks and my life changed significantly. Many of the fundamentally stable aspects of my life were drastically changed in a very short time and I found myself lonely for the first time since I was 17 years old. I was driving a long distance at night when The Hunger Artists’ 2 Shots for Bad Timing came on. What had been a night of dark blues and silvery grays out on a snow straddled I-25 blossomed into an onslaught of tropical pastels. Soft, opaque lime greens, sunset pinks, and powdery oranges filled my head for much of this album.
It wasn’t just the palette change which I appreciated on this second listen. It was the companionship that the album provided. No matter what incarnation The Hunger Artists are currently in two people form a constant unchanging core: Troy (lead vocals) and Thomas (guitar and back-up vocals). Recently, their shows have really only involved Troy and Thomas, and although they might feel less impressive as two people with just one instrument between them, that has always been my favorite way to see them. I think that is The Hunger Artists at their best. Despite the lush instrumental backgrounds present on 2 Shots of Bad Timing, Troy and Thomas sit nicely atop the sonic pile, their voices very present and very immediate. That’s really what makes this album shine, the strong presence that Thomas and Troy have on the album. If I had to describe this album in a single phrase it would be “pleasantly conversational”. It’s a perfect album for road trips, or long walks alone, because you’re not alone. They’re sitting in the car with you just saying whatever comes to mind. They are your commiserators for the evening.
Troy has one of the most inimitable voices I know of. It’s bombastic, cutting, and deeply textured. He keeps it light though, and generally doesn’t drag notes on forever. Thomas as a vocalist is one of those rare and wonderful people who can somehow always pick out a harmony and sing it confidently. You might not notice how much of an impact those back-up vocals have on the tracks right away, but his parts really give the songs on this album their hooks. I even find myself singing his background melodies and harmony parts to myself without even realizing I’m not singing the main part.
This is a really good album, one that has been long awaited and now that it exists it’s definitely something I’m keeping in my car. The whole thing is well recorded and perfectly mixed to allow The Hunger Artists to do what they do best, act as a nice backdrop for the memorable vocals that Troy and Thomas deliver.
more information on The Hunger Artists can be found here (because you don't know how to use google): http://www.facebook.com/pages/the-hunger-artists/124207332889?sk=info
more information on The Hunger Artists can be found here (because you don't know how to use google): http://www.facebook.com/pages/the-hunger-artists/124207332889?sk=info
