by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
It has been less than a year since the restless lo-fi chameleon Alexei Shishkin released his last album but you know what they say about idle hands. Once again teaming up with Forged Artifacts (Lawn, Double Grave, Zula), the Brooklyn via Portland bedroom pop auteur will release Happy Bday on October 19th, a fuzzy dose of clever pop songs and slacker “college rock” charm. Sometimes direct (“What Do You Mean?”) and other times spaced out (“Engagement”), the record traverses mood and atmospheres, from lounge jazz (“Sky To Part”) to rollicking Americana-tinged indie rock (“The Good”), and everything in between.
Speaking about the record, Shishkin shared:
"Excited for this album. Riley Geare [percussion/mixing] was great on drums and Jess Pierson's harmonies added a new dimension. It was recorded on and off over the past few years between New York City, Los Angeles, and Portland, OR.
Lyrically, it's one of the more positive things I've done - I used to be on my sad sack, heartbreak bullshit, but over the last couple years, I realized how lucky I really am. Of course I couldn't quit the sad shit cold turkey - there're still a few downer tracks toward the end. Those were inspired by getting laid off from this job I had last year.
Musically, inspired by the usual stuff - Luna, Malkmus, Bejar. Mostly built it around guitar lines, and then tried to replicate the melodies vocally. Mostly improvised, cause I'm lazy.”
Alexei Shishkin’s Happy Bday is out October 19th via Forged Artifacts.