Crooked Spine began life as the solo recording project of Philadelphia’s Joey DeGrado, though soon recruited Bill Magerr (of Wyndwood), Santi Slade (Santi Suede) and Evan Campbell (Zorn) as part of its evolution into a full band. Back in the summer of 2017, the band released 3 Songs, a descriptively-titled EP with a varied sound, from the rambunctious noise of ‘Sally’ to the slow-moving emotion of ‘Blue Blood’. However, the most notable feature of the record was what appears to be the Crooked Spine trademark, an uncanny ability to couple an energetic indie rock aesthetic with surprisingly deep and detailed lyrics.
This week sees the release of Crooked Spine’s brand new full-length album, Gary, via Sleeper Records. Taking the lyrical richness of 3 Songs further, Gary is a narrative-driven concept record that brings to mind the work of Craig Finn, achieving a blend between energy and nuance that so marks the music of Lifter Puller and The Hold Steady. The record has a thematic affinity with Finn’s work too, dropping a cast of characters into the seedier side of life, or perhaps just finding them there, where they were always going to be, scenes getting druggy and ugly and bloody, as is the way of these things.
The album opens with the suitably wonky ‘Gary, Getting Loaded For The First Time’, which introduces the titular character. Gary is a fifteen-year old high school freshman who has scored some dope from upperclassmen and now wants to detail the experience in the brash, overexcited tones common to such an adolescent. The track has an unnerving intensity, a teen fervor to do the things they think they deserve, which in this case is have a great time and get fucked up. The hyperactive sound verges on tantrum, as though angry at being told what to do before anyone has uttered a word, though, ironically, the rebellious act becomes its own rule. “He knew,” DeGrado sings, the drugs starting to hit Gary’s system, “he had made a friend for life.”
Slacker rock song ‘Skinned Knees’ finds Gary two years later, in love with weed and skating and Pavement, and this languid freedom congeals into ‘Ovlov T Shirt’, a love song as born in a basement show, messed up kids with messed up hair falling for the symbols of the scene. Though, as ‘MTV Cribs’ asks, “how can it be love when you’re always doing drugs?” Gary might be in a relationship with a girl called Sally, but the lines between love and dependency and downright convenience are blurred, his new position as a dealer forming a cynical and apathetic tone, eschewing responsibility in the name of happenstance.
‘Water’ is a hushed bedroom pop song, the time alone between highs and hip masquerade, while ‘Dropping Out’ is a brooding track with a dangerous edge, the paranoia of come downs and business ventures, of weapons concealed in bedroom drawers. The track sees something of a breakdown for Gary, leading into the nadir of ‘Gary, Getting Loaded For The Last Time’, Sally and Gary pushing themselves into oblivion.
‘Sally Pt. 2’ sees DeGrado go full Malkmus, the kind of bummed-out layabout vibe juxtaposed with an edgy tautness. This comes to a head in the final section, when everything drops away except a tick of guitar and vocals delivering the repeated lines “being an asshole for a year / it seems to still be fucking with me”. Closer ‘Dog in the Window’ serves as Gary’s reflection, the synth pop opening pushing as close to earnestness as he manages before the track kicks into an indie rock rhythm which promises something better, personal improvement that might be enough to win Sally back.
We’re delighted to be able to stream the album in full a few days early, so click below and take a listen:
Album artwork by Santi Slade