by Torrey Proto (@torreysbrewin)
When he’s not recording and performing with such esteemed acts as Lomelda or Peter Matthew Bauer of The Walkmen, Ryan Von Gonten makes gorgeously cinematic pop music with the intimacy and warmth of bedroom folk with the ambition and clarity to break out of that mold. Featuring his bandmates Hannah Read (Lomelda), Andrew Stevens (Lomelda, Hovvdy) and Matt Oliver (TV Torso, Sound Team), Von Gonten’s debut full length Truthlikeness is an introspective record that unfolds naturally at an unhurried pace as he explores the establishment of his own identity during a period of great change in his life.
Highlight track “In No Sense” is a quietly empowering anthem that finds Von Gonten wrestling with self-doubt, singing “I’ve got a lot of potential, but I know that it won’t last long.” Despite the personal struggles laid out in the lyrics, the serene guitar leads soar brightly, refusing to give in to the surrounding doubts and insecurities.
Ryan Von Gonten’s Truthlikeness is out via GoldFlakePaint’s Human Noise Records.