Rough Experimental Gem for Introspection

After more than 20 years in the industry, Califone has seen its fair share of music and experimenting with their sound. The project, originally formed by frontman Tim Rutili, was later expanded with the addition of Ben Massarella in 2002 and Rachel Blumberg in 2019. With the release of their latest album, Villagers, Califone delves into delicate poetry, a variety of sounds and a lot of experimentalism. With a mix of songs with elements of R&B, soul, rock and bossa nova, Villagers is a diamond in the experimental rough. It is certain to please old fans and ease new ones in.

“The Habsburg Jaw” starts with light synths and a discreet bass. Tim Rutili’s voice is rough and raspy on this track. The track has a lot of experimental elements, making the song sound as if it were hijacked by robots at some parts, namely the bridge, where the light-like beams from the synths and occasional notes from an apparent sax sound distorted. The term ‘habsburg jaw’ comes from the protruding jaw deformity that King Charles II of Spain was known for, a result of inbreeding. The song’s meaning seems to be ambiguous at first glance, but upon further examination, it is a song about grossly rich people’s wealth, selfishness and reputation. From doing anything to keep the family reputation, to ignoring history “the way your memory works is not mine,” just to keep up certain appearances within circles, “drink to the family money”  and not giving much care about the next generations, “ignore the descendants.” An intriguing song, “The Habsburg Jaw” is an introspective listen.

“Eyelash” begins with interesting vocal chops and electric synths, before switching to a R&B sound. A very calm and loungey song, “Eyelash” touches on the topic of supply and demand. But it’s deeper than that, it’s about accepting responsibility and taking back things that belong to oneself. With lyrics like “We are the hangman and the undertaker / We are the embracers and we are the embraced / You can’t give me what’s already mine,” are meant to make the listener realize the responsibility of handling our lives is ours alone. We are only where we are because we allowed ourselves to be. The lyric “an eyelash, a present joy,” represents enjoying fleeting moments in life.

Starting with dry drums and synths, “Mcmansions” quickly turns into an RnB-ish, country-ish song with bossa nova and experimental elements. Mostly acoustic with fleeting flashes of electric guitars and synths, “Mcmansions” keeps a calm demeanor. It’s the longest track on the album, with a length of 7 minutes and 45 seconds. Califone strategically cramps a lot of what it has to say in the track. The track ends with a piano and faraway synths, to compensate for the organized chaos throughout.

As the namesake of the album, “Villagers” sounds like a village as the sun rises. With acoustic guitars reminiscent of country, a shaker setting the pace gently, and a pan flute decorating the soundscape, it really feels like a rural village waking up. The genre blends from folk to country, with the main focus being on the calm guitars. 

“Comedy” from its start, is very different than the rest of the tracks. Leaning towards a more soul and sulky ballad sound, “Comedy” is sad and heart wrenching. The main instrument in the song is the piano, followed by emotional drums and brass. It turns into a ballad you would expect to hear at a jazz bar, slow and steady. This song is difficult to decipher in terms of deeper meaning. It talks about feeling like your significant other, while being your rock to lean on, can also be your enemy; in its own right, comedy and irony at its best. The lyrics “Don’t know how to make it right by you / I’m not your slave anymore / Isolation, everything seems human but its not” and “Are you my enemy? / Made to make you feel less alone,” display the introspection of Tim Rutili at the time of creating this masterpiece.

Starting with an unconventional but melancholic beat, “Ox-eye” is a disorderly song. With what originally is the structure of a sad and melancholic rock song, the track is dirtied by piano slams, and out of place additions. “Ox-eye” is a prime example of more not always being better, experimenting too much can muddy the quality. It crosses into the territory of distracting the listener and noise polluting an otherwise quality song. Overdriven vocals sound clipped on purpose and are almost painful to listen to. 

More calm and peaceful than expected for a song named “Halloween,” its easy for the listener to tilt their heads in confusion. Unlike the previous track, “Halloween” keeps the experimentalism down to a minimum: only a vibrating clash being played forward and in reverse in an almost constant loop. The only lyric in reference to the spooky holiday in the entire song is, “you know the Halloween decorations are never coming down.”

“Skunkish” begins with acoustic guitars and relaxed percussions. “Skunkish” is reminiscent of “Villagers” in the sense that it sounds rural. It maintains the experimentalism of the album’s brand, but keeps it mostly during the bridge, making it more tolerable than “Ox-eye.” The song comes to a close with many voices singing the lyrics in syncopation, occasionally out of sync. It makes for an interesting close and directly represents the lyrics being sung, “Rumble and Shake.”

With fingerpicked guitars and gentle tropical bongos, “Sweetly” starts off sweetly with a bossa nova style. Tim Rutili’s voice is soothing and crispy as he harmonizes, “Coated in honey, bleeding out money.” “Sweetly” talks about someone who does something wrong, even if accidentally, and expects the world to pick up the pieces. With no experimentalism staining the song, “Sweetly” is the perfect choice for closing the album and calling it a day after much introspection.