Abstract sounds and perspectives

A man of many talents including songwriting, singing, producing and editing his own magazine Creem, Dusty Wright has been releasing albums since 1997. Known for his eclectic style and creative nature, Wright has been able to create a wide variety of works including eight albums, his own interview show and a documentary about the famous Roswell Alien Incident. His interest in many sorts of ideas and media is also reflected in his music. In his new album entitled Lonelyville, Wright plays with sound and imagery in an assortment of different songs.

The first track “Lonelyville,” as one might imagine, sets the tone for the entire album. The beginning of the song is saturated with abstracted sounds similar to those of an egg frying and is layered in between a psychedelic guitar riff. Because of this chaotic instrumentation, Wright opts for an incredibly simplistic melody repeating the same four notes throughout most of the track.

Next up on the tracklist is “Unbearable Brightness,” a lighter song carrying the weight of the only explicit tag on the entire project. Acoustic and electric guitars play major chords and uplifting melodies, but at the same time, almost strange-sounding notes are thrown in with the others creating a feeling of something sinister under the “brightness.”

“Riptide of Love” is a departure from the previous sounds as Wright dives into the pool of grunge. Even taking a raspier tone to his voice, as so many did in the grunge era, “Riptide of Love” also has a foot in the pond of punk. This track is slightly more upbeat and harder than the previous, which is an interesting decision considering the next song, “One Last Time (Song for Carol),” is the most solemn of the album. Speaking on his own death, he sings, “one last time, lay me down” over a singular acoustic guitar. Joining these two sounds is a choir, transporting the listener into a mournful funeral service.

“Tree of Life” is a steady-paced, rocking “story about the tree of life.” Over the groovy percussion and dark guitar, Wright tells the story of deforestation from the tree’s perspective. Although an interesting idea, the story itself and the metaphors within it tend to be slightly cliché. That being said, it does not take away too much as this is one of the better instrumentals on the album.

The next song, “Stare Into the Sun,” is a chaotic mess of fun. Welcoming the listener into the song is Wright singing, “Hey fiddle-diddle this cat’s in the middle of one cool run.” The excited lyrics continue matching the guitars trying to out-duel each other in the background. This track could perfectly frame a scene of pandemonium.

As expected from someone so versatile, Wright puts out a wide range of musical concepts combined with unusual lyrical viewpoints, making Lonelyville stand out as a great listen.