Cassette Review // Sad New Owner "Soft Moss Under Foot"

https://sadnewowner.bandcamp.com/album/soft-moss-under-foot

The sound of Sad New Owner can best be described as folk punk, as it tends to be vocals + acoustic guitar, but to confine it to only that genre would feel like a disservice.  There are different emotions within these songs and I certainly feel as if the way that the guitar sounds (and how it is played) is a reflection of the mood of the lyrics as well.

"Take Care Of Yourself" is about hearing a podcaster signoff with that line and it hitting really hard.  I don't listen to podcasts, but this particular idea resonated with me because this is how I felt the first time (and every time since) I hear the clipping. song "He Dead" say "Stay alive at all costs".   Sometimes words just mean so much and they make you feel ways you don't expect.

With hints of Spanish Love Songs in the emotions, other songs can take on the feeling of those working class blues.  I particularly can feel this on "Gas Bill", which is like the electric bills in Connecticut.   So, during the pandemic of 2020, our local energy company (shoutout Eversource) raised our prices.  Customers noticed because they were once paying $100 for usage and $20 for delivery and were now paying $50 for usage and $100 for delivery.

While I feel like a lot of the ideas of social skills when it comes to other people can be related to within these songs, I really like that the state of Connecticut lets Eversource have a monopoly on energy and yet when our local mayor asked them why their prices went up they gave no real reason, just said it was because usage was down.  Isn't this what the state was supposed to prevent?

As much as I feel like I want to get together and set fire to these buildings until they change their ways, I'm also just moved by the song "Forgotten Relics From the Myspace Age".  I think a lot about how there weren't really digital cameras when I was growing up, so it wasn't the same back then when you would do anything-- you couldn't just post about it with an easy photo and all that.  It makes me both happy and sad at the same time.

Two of the songs on here- "The One With The Thumb Piano" and "The Other One With That Same Thumb Piano" both have those vibes like someone is turning the crank on the Jack In The Box and the puppet hasn't jumped out yet.  I now am supposing that sound is being made by a thumb piano, but I'm not sure if I want to look it up or live in mystery.