#24: el oh vee ee
In the balmy late-spring evening, a warm breeze blowing the soft dryer sheet air, a casual sun coming in and out of focus, I walked slow and steady, shoulders back, through a neighborhood I’m only just getting to know. I came out earlier in the day and the light was too much to bear, I couldn’t smell a single flower, couldn’t notice a mellow wind across my cheek, all I could do was squint my eyes and try to get back in. But now, a few hours later, it’s perfect. I am a stranger here, sunglasses on, dog on a leash all sluggish from a day of napping. I’m transmitted here from somewhere else, but my head is level. Cloud covers the sun again — just a moment’s rest. After so many hours of cooking under the heat.
This is the kind of scene I think is perfect for Armlock, a band I had never heard from before yesterday. I listened to the single they just released, “Ice Cold,” a bunch of times before I realized that their upcoming record Seashell Angel Lucky Charm was already sitting in my inbox. I was immediately drawn to every single thing about this record. The artwork is gorgeous, a sparkling chrome heart globe that looks like a cartoon logo from an alternate past, gliding in from the infinite television darkness with no explanation, no text. The sound of this record produces this effect as well — blippy, staticky transmissions cutting in and out throughout, lending the album a kind of unspoken, but lightly tragic backstory, as if these songs are lost, lonely in a world that is not their own.
The songs, though, are patient, cool, unaffected. That single, “Ice Cold,” glides in on a steady meandering guitar line that says ah fuck it in a “Heart Cooks Brain” kind of way. The vocals sound like easy talk, more than a mumble but scarcely more than that, turning to a little chant in the chorus. Armlock — a duo from Australia — sound like they’re wearing sunglasses too. Ambling along.
This record is cool but not too cool, if you know what I mean. These songs really feel like something is happening, even if it happens in the low moments, the slow down moments. “Fear” has a sweet, wistful melody that reaches for a heart-striking falsetto in a contextually noisy climax. “Guardian” also sounds gentle and caring, a little ode delivered close to your ear, particularly in a burbling acoustic outro, letting the birdsounds in. “El Oh Vee Ee” spells out “LOVE” over and over in a way that is more alien than cloying, as if Armlock are discovering the concept for the first time here.
Seashell Angel Lucky Charm is only 7 songs, 19 minutes long, which is perfect. Like Hovvdy before them, this is a band from whom I want to hear just a little bit now — I want to turn these songs over and over in my hands, getting to know their rounded, soft, indeterminate contours — but I want to hear a lot from them later. I’ll be throwing this on often over the next few months, during those days when the afternoon seems to go on later and later, when I just want to walk around and feel a little strange in my incredibly normal surroundings, wanting to experience the novelty of it all without getting all worked up about it. It feels like something really special to see things this way, and this band helped me access that vision.
“Ice Cold” is out now on Run For Cover Records. Seashell Angel Lucky Charm comes out July 12.
Recently I also liked:
The Sunny Day Real Estate Diary live album. The new version of “Song About an Angel” nearly brought me to my knees. The exact opposite experience of beauty from Armlock to this — ecstasy rather than patient reservation. I’ll be at their show at the TLA tomorrow, which I just realized that Rocket is opening — their album from last year Versions of You kicks ass.
Listening to four Jimmy Eat World LPs in a row very loudly. I picked the needle back up and played “Shame” twice.
Yesterday was Jonny’s birthday and we watched Tremors. I really enjoyed trying to imitate Reba McEntire saying the word “tremors,” like the way she might say it to a friend of hers when she was filming it. My version kind of sounded like my grandmother.
We went to a greenhouse with Nick and he cried the whole time but I think he liked it. He got flower petals on his head which is how I’ll often think of him. Look at the top and the bottom of this newsletter to see.
I sat out front of my new house in South Philly and wrote this whole newsletter. I liked that. I’m trying to learn to be less afraid of my own blog.
I made these confetti cookies for Jonny’s birthday (thank you Tali for the recipe) and they were very good even though I browned the bottoms a bit too much and wouldn’t shut up about it.
No I haven’t seen Challengers yet I’ll let you know.
Writing character studies in my notebook that aren’t stories but maybe one day they will be.
I also liked the new Crumb songs which are a similar vibe to the Armlock stuff if you’re impatient for the July release. Sorry for writing about it so early but again I’m trying to be less afraid of my own blog.
A bunch of my friends ran the Broad Street Run over the weekend and I stole all their medals they all thought it was a riot. At least I think they did I was too busy taking selfies to gauge a reaction
My name is Jordy Walsh, and I’m a writer based in Philadelphia. I Keep a Diary is a newsletter about music, books, and writing. You can follow me on Twitter for more thoughts on all that stuff.