The New York DIY band Norwood‘s new album, the exciting Lizzy White Doesn’t Give a Fu*k, parties hard with fast-moving, down-home romps contrasted by sad and somber songs.
A commanding violin, played with the spirit of a country fiddle by Ben Sutin, launches the album right into the ferocious title track.
One of the obvious observations right off the bat is the similarity of guitarist Chris Sayre‘s vocals to those of vocalist John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants. But Norwood has a decidedly different sound with a strong Americana and alt. country flair that may also conjure up bands like Mountain Goats.
Sutin’s violin playing, together with a chugging percussion and ferocious guitars, leads the way for the upbeat opening track. Right out of the gate, the title track opener demands the attention of the listener.
The next track, the depressing, “Dog of Aokigahara,” seems out of place following the roaring opening. That’s mainly because Aokigahara conjures up disturbing images (it is a notorious Japanese forest known as a destination for suicides).
That said, Sayre, Sutin, and Hannah Fairchild, along with drummer Max Maples and bassist Keith Michael Pinault, display their talents individually and as a band, offering curious listeners an original and sincere sound steeped in an earthy, country vibe.
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As a contrast to the fast-moving, violin, percussion, and guitar-driven tracks, the album offers mellow, quiet moments like “Babyboy”, featuring lyrics such as ‘don’t tell me what to do Steve’.
The gloom, if you will, (or so it seems) continues with “Taking On Water.” Then something spectacular happens: the track transforms as it evolves into a sunnier vibe lead by Sutin’s sweet violin solo and the chunky chords of Sayre’s guitar. Fairchild’s backup vocals are fitting with the male vocals as the song evolves into a full-on, rambunctious chorus.
“Rebuttal in #F” is clearly one of the standout songs on Lizzy; it is upbeat, energetic, and even a bit quirky. The chorus belts out: “I will hate myself as hard as I can for you,” accompanied by hand-clapping and the fast-moving instrumentation that is a hallmark of Norwood’s sound.
Next, “Against The Grain,” takes a leap of faith – and a good one at that – into a whole other vibe with the addition of a superb horn section. In fact, the horns are so enthralling that one wishes they were deployed on more tracks.
On “Rock,” the band as a unit re-establishes their trademark – and at times addictive – ferocious sound. But unlike any other track on the album, it is perhaps most memorable for its odd, even psychedelic-like, whispering. (At first, this reviewer – working alone in an otherwise quiet room – thought for a split second that someone was in the room whispering at him.)
The pace slows down again on “Bridge to Home,” a country-rock ballad of sorts featuring hellish lyrics such as: “Every day seems a shallow rotten path/Plagued by bitterness and worry/By sinew, flesh, and bone.”
Interestingly, the character of ‘Babyboy’ is mentioned again on this track too but it’s difficult to discern exactly is going on. The more one listens to Norwood’s songs, the harder it is not to imagine Mountain Goats as an influence on the band’s sound.
“Hey Nana” is another song on the album that doesn’t necessarily sound the majority of the other 10 tracks. “Hey Nana” possesses a poppy beat together with thrusts of hard-hitting instrumentations swirling around Sayre’s regularly strange and poetic songs.
The album closes with the appropriately-placed song, “Last Words” – perhaps the most sentimental songs on an oft-sentimental album.
“Last Words” is simply a sad song lead by Sayre’s reflective vocals, cast in a different register, and Sutin’s weepy violin.
We do not know who Lizzy is, or what she doesn’t give a fuck about, and never could really figure it out. So, who gives a fu*k? She doesn’t (it’s in the album title). But somehow, in the end, she got me to.