2019 Latecomers: Bad Wiring

Thanks go to Chris for pointing me in the direction of the new Jeffrey Lewis album, released late last year. It's been a while since Lewis has popped up on my radar, but there's a fine set of songs here that appeal to a grumpy old man who's rarely impressed by anything these days.

The song that caught Chris's ear was LPs, and I'm sure it's one which will strike a chord with many of you as Lewis relates his youthful addiction to vinyl (because it was cheap and nobody wanted it in the late 80s, early 90s)... but there's a sting in the tale. He doesn't buy LPs anymore. I wonder if you can guess what he buys instead...



But there's much more to be enjoyed on this album as Lewis embraces true Grumpy Old Man status and sinks his teeth into his very own Mid-Life Crisis (I'm reassured to see he's only three years younger than I am).

So he tells us...

I must be out of my mind

Because everything's fine

Except for the fact that it isn't

And he laments the fact that he takes it for granted...

And I’m glad when we are eating and discussing our plans

I know we’ll already be hanging out next weekend in advance

That’s what makes relax, that's what makes it a life

When you don’t have to worry about these things every night

It’s not a very good fire if it stays when you fanned it

What’s the point if we can’t just take each other for granted

There's loads more misery to go at, including the gloriously titled Depression! Despair!, but my favourite is definitely this...

My girlfriend doesn’t question the psychology of Charles Manson

What does it say about the human condition?

Why are people so receptive to listen?

And why is confidence alone such a magnet?

It’s unfair the way some people have it

And they seem to do the things that they want to

We all just get away with all that we can do

Because it’s only sexiness that has any value

And all society just falls by the wayside

Into the hierarchy of cult and apparent

And it’s genetics to be masters of victim

And does hedonism go with corruption?

Why are we drawn to dramas of domination?

These are massive, giant, troubling, consuming thoughts that I’m thinking

But I think she’ll just think it’s annoying so I don’t bring it up

She says, “why are you thinking of him? 

You should think about your family and friends and about our relationship”

I bet it's a laugh a minute being Jeffrey Lewis' girlfriend.

Find more Jeffrey Lewis on Bandcamp.