Music Review // Ronley Teper's Lipliners "Everyone Loves A Good Story"

 

https://ronleyteperandthelipliners.bandcamp.com/album/everyone-loves-a-good-story

Listening to Ronley Teper's Lipliners makes me feel as if we've stumbled upon some alternate dimension and as such we're able to hear music which is unlike anything that exists in this reality.   The music on "Everyone Loves A Good Story" could easily enough be given some vague genre classifications but the way that those sounds mix and are experimented with are what makes this album stand out not just from its peers but stand out from all other music on the whole.  

When this album first starts there are pianos and can be thought of as easy listening to some extent.   Backing vocals swirled in make me think of the song "Come In Closer" by Blue October and then that first song really kicks in.   There is some piano jazz in here though the second song because a bit more wild with lasers.  There is a scary aspect on the second song as well, which sings about the sushi bar and chicken place which then brings about sounds of chickens clucking.   This is the type of thing which sets Ronley Teper's Lipliners apart from literally everyone else.

The second song also eventually breaks down into a big dance number, where in contrast the vocal harmonies on "Big Black Clouds" can remind me of The Turtles but overall the song has a somewhat sad feel about it.   The smooth sax comes in and then we're off to a slow love song called "Love Again" which has this sort of No Doubt ska vibe to it.  As the song seems to be encouraging there is also an audio sample in here of "You can do it!" and that just strikes me as funny but in a good way.  These songs have these odd little breakdowns sometimes but I do enjoy them.

Melodic rock guitar chords start "Stuff", which is about procrastination (having stuff to do but not wanting to do it) while "Cohabiting Lovers" starts off like Gotye and has lyrics which you can relate with if you've ever lived with someone else.  "Crazy" has starts and stops which make it feel more like a traditional jazz song.  "Crazy Times" on the other hand has a bass explosion like Rush.   By the time we hit the end of the album, it all unfolds as if for a big, happy ballad, telling us that it's all going to be all right, and while this song also gets stuck in my head it is the best possible note to go out on: one of hope and promise.