Relatable and Real

Like many other artists, El Kempner’s main project Palehound is releasing music for the first time post-COVID. The new album, entitled Eye on the Bat, makes that period of time seem so long ago with its vivid scenes of life being lived, making the listen a very refreshing one for those looking to feel something. The title itself is a very good indication of what you’re in for, nodding to the lyric that inspired the track and the album’s titles, “’Cause suckers will all tell you to keep watching for the ball, but we know better than that, keep your eye on the bat.”

Eye on the Bat is a fairly easy listen, never overstepping its boundaries musically. That isn’t to say experimentation is nowhere to be found, the album is actually quite colorful and full of artistic freedom. At its center, however, the album’s ten tracks settle comfortably into the core elements of the indie rock genre they subscribe to; laid back drum grooves and bass driven verses with tasteful guitars, both electric and acoustic, fronted with raw vocals coupled with strong and intelligent lyric writing.

The album also harbors all sorts of ear-worms, including the insanely catchy guitar riff that sprinkles itself throughout “Independence Day,” the busy yet tasteful drum groove that starts “Head Like Soup” and every chorus that follows it and everything about the upbeat and dancy “U Want It U Got It,” full of synth and high-pitched reflections of the vocals.

A superpower that only so many musicians have is the power to be relatable. Sometimes, music that resonates with a listener on a personal level influences the listener’s perspective on the song far more than the actual music itself. In an almost entrancing way, the lyrical content of Eye on the Bat draws in its listeners with real emotions that aren’t dressed up for show.

Kempner opens up about past relationships, self-perception and living life itself in a way that isn’t glamorous, but rather ordinary and accessible for most people living normal lives. Because of this, there’s an authenticity to the music that’s almost endearing, full of reflections of human error in relationships both with partners and with yourself. The album’s title track Eye on the Bat exemplifies just this, describing scenes of life, not extravagant like other famous musicians, but scenes on the road with friends, just living from destination to destination.

Kempner comments on the track to Consequence, “Like hey, all the drive-thrus may be closed and we don’t know if we’ll even have places to sleep on this drive, but at least we can all listen to music together and scream about it.” Sentiments like this and like the one on “My Evil,” about personal bad habits and negative emotions and actions, make the album very human and make the listen cathartic.