by Scott Yohe
Sam Goblin, formerly of indie rock band Two Inch Astronaut, returns under his Mister Goblin moniker with his second solo full length. His new album Four People in an Elevator and One of them is the Devil has that classic indie rock sound with the added bonus of having very meaningful and fun lyrics. Clocking in at a cool 29 minutes in length, it makes for an easy listening experience but when you really dive into what is happening on this record, there is a lot to unpack. This is a new project that is just as worthy of listening to as his previous band.
We can easily see the lyrical prowess of this album on the second track, “Hook in the Eye” which Sam Goblin has gone on to say is about a telemarketer calling his grandma to try to scam her. It is an experience that we all know about, some scumbag trying to take advantage of the elderly. However, in this song Goblin is treating the scammer as someone who is a failed actor and because of this they get to pretend to be an actor of the phone. This telephone call is their "stage,” and the call is their "performance.” It is fun to imagine a scammer going all out on some performance just to do something we all know is wrong. This failed actor trying so hard but only to know deep down that they aren’t acting anymore, they are just taking advantage of someone.
On the third song, “Six Flags America” we hear guest vocals from Sadie Dupuis from famed band Speedy Ortiz. Her vocals compliment Sam Goblin's extremely well and we get to hear them sing about having tickets to the theme park. The song’s lyrics convey that they will not be able to use these tickets. It is heartbreaking when you dive deep into it, however, in classic indie-rocker fashion, Sam ends the song singing "I guess it's cool" even if things didn't work out.
The song "At Least" showcases a lot of what makes this a worthwhile album. You get shouting vocals, thoughtful lyrics, and an instrumental that keeps giving and giving. We hear Sam Goblin yell about the need for "someone to give a shit" and his need and want to repent. He feels the pressure that comes with knowing that you have done something wrong and also just wanting someone to care. He is able to capture this feeling extremely well. On “Cover Song” he sings in the background "Blackbird, Freebird, In My Life, Blackbird, Freebird, Sweet Home Alabama" which are all popular songs that we see people at bars covering. The reason he does this is clear, that everyone can easily sing along to these songs at a bar, no one wants to hear what he actually has to say. This feeling of no one caring or wanting to hear hurts, but Goblin just says whatever, here’s what you guys came to hear, who cares what he has to say.
All of the instrumentals back the songs extremely well. Most of them were played exclusively by Sam Goblin himself, with a few exceptions. Multi-instrumentalist Seth Engel plays percussion throughout and bass on “Cardboad Box” while Matt Gatwood plays cello on “Six Flags America” and piano on “Decompensating.” It is impressive that Goblin played mostly everything, and it allows the record to have a very DIY feeling which is something that is missing from a lot of modern indie-rock. The instrumentals all keep you engaged and compliment every song extremely well.
After listening multiple times to this album, you will realize that this is not just any other indie rock album. It is an album by someone who has something to say, you just have to be willing to listen. If you give Mister Goblin the chance to tell you something, you will be hearing something important. He isn't being confrontational; he is just telling you how it is. So, here is your chance, sit down and listen to Four People in an Elevator and One of them is Devil, sit down and listen to what he has to say, it will all be worth it in the end.