Blake Solomon
12/27/09, 10:15 PM
Frank Schweikhardt – Life But No More
Record Label: Crossroads of America Records
Release Date: November 2009
Who?
A Midwest-based songwriter who uses an old acoustic guitar and a thorough appreciation of Owen to create emotionally ravaging music.
How Is It?
It seems fitting to end my run of 2009 reviews with an XRA release. The little Indiana label made a huge impact on my musical life this year, and when I received Frank Schweikhardt’s unsettling LP Life But No More, I knew only good things could be waiting. His simplistic stances on everything from lyrics to composition make for an album that uses its negative space to great effect. “Claim” features lines like, “I’m the sick man” or “I’m the old man,” while guitars switch between relaxed strumming and technical picking. Its subtlety will have you cozying up to the speakers, like your grandpappy used to do with radio crime dramas. “The Dead” and "Twin Cities" are recipes for future success due to their inclusions of wistful percussion. Schweikhardt’s voice will immediately recall Mike Kinsella, but his words typically use short jabs to create impact. It’s all very low-key on surface level, but something about Life But No More’s quietness – it is a record best enjoyed in complete solitude – has kept me returning, especially as the days grew frustratingly short. Listeners in the Midwest will recognize this softness immediately, but for those of us in big cities, the focus on slow, hushed music can come as a pleasant counterpoint to the surrounding din of urban sprawl.
Recommended If You Like: Owen, French Quarter, haiku, Brandon Hilkert, piece
www.myspace.com/indianaisnice
Record Label: Crossroads of America Records
Release Date: November 2009
Who?
A Midwest-based songwriter who uses an old acoustic guitar and a thorough appreciation of Owen to create emotionally ravaging music.
How Is It?
It seems fitting to end my run of 2009 reviews with an XRA release. The little Indiana label made a huge impact on my musical life this year, and when I received Frank Schweikhardt’s unsettling LP Life But No More, I knew only good things could be waiting. His simplistic stances on everything from lyrics to composition make for an album that uses its negative space to great effect. “Claim” features lines like, “I’m the sick man” or “I’m the old man,” while guitars switch between relaxed strumming and technical picking. Its subtlety will have you cozying up to the speakers, like your grandpappy used to do with radio crime dramas. “The Dead” and "Twin Cities" are recipes for future success due to their inclusions of wistful percussion. Schweikhardt’s voice will immediately recall Mike Kinsella, but his words typically use short jabs to create impact. It’s all very low-key on surface level, but something about Life But No More’s quietness – it is a record best enjoyed in complete solitude – has kept me returning, especially as the days grew frustratingly short. Listeners in the Midwest will recognize this softness immediately, but for those of us in big cities, the focus on slow, hushed music can come as a pleasant counterpoint to the surrounding din of urban sprawl.
Recommended If You Like: Owen, French Quarter, haiku, Brandon Hilkert, piece
www.myspace.com/indianaisnice