by Patrick Pilch (@pratprilch)
Now I know what you’re thinking and Old Joy songwriter Alex Reindl knows too. “Side A is like my Figure 8 style song and side B is my Either/Or style song,” he wrote over email, adding, “lol.” The Chicago-based songwriter’s new double-sided single is reminiscent, but transcendent. Each track exemplifies Reindl’s knack of working songs into both solo and full band arrangements. “Feelin’ Far” plays like an all-timer party, “Everybody” like the sobering comedown. The first track is an expanding, upbeat piano tune with a full band breakdown complete with big horns, full strings and a Carl Carlton homage. “And the less that you say the better is your day,” sings a briefly quiet and wistful Reindl, “I just wanna play and then go away.” It’s a song about trying hard, getting nowhere and trying again.
“Everybody” was written in 2012 but recorded and reworked in December 2021. The acoustic B-side is raw and grounding, an honest and melancholic counterpoint to the steady pluck of its accompanying A-side. Reindl still feels stuck, but the outlook and imagery is grave; “Had a dream last night you were in concrete/Half of you buried and half trying to get free.” Reindl’s line about getting depressed, doing drugs, and being scared hits particularly hard, and the track’s off center overdubs add a heavy, stumbling emotional tilt. Overall, there’s some really great songwriting on this track and that riff is just too easy. When a song like “Everybody” lingers for a decade, you begin to wonder why people weren’t paying attention in the first place.
Old Joy has a couple gigs coming up in Chicago including tonight at University of Chicago and tomorrow at Cole’s.
Upcoming Shows:
05/27 - Chicago, IL @ University of Chicago WHPK
05/28 - Chicago, IL @ Cole’s Bar (single release show)
06/29 - Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
07/09 - Chicago, IL @ Burlington Bar*
07/10 - Chicago, IL @ Dropped Beauty Records Showcase*
* solo