Wonderlick is like my high school friends, after all these years. There's a band that I still miss today called Too Much Joy. They were clever, they were alive, and they were snotty boys with guitars. Tim Quirk and Jay Blumenfield were half of that band. They've matured (a little) and, while there are elements that remind me of TMJ, this band is all grown up. There are plenty of familiar bits, like Tim's vocals, some of the chord changes and guitar sounds, and hints of the wicked humor and spunk. Still, Wonderlick is not so smartass or funny; they've got their own aesthetic. Which is largely one of "I'm not sure how I ended up here, since it's not what I was aiming for, but I wasn't really aiming anyway. This is what I've got." In many ways, this is a natural progression. It's what happens to us all when we get older if we don't get lame.Topless at the Arco Arena is Wonderlick's second album, with 17 songs of fairly strong material. The real negative is that some of the tracks have been loaded with heavy vocal processing. When She Took Off Her Shirt, for example is almost unlistenable. AutoTune is really annoying when it's not trying to be ironic or funny (e.g. AutoTune the News). As you might guess, I don't like T-Pain either. Fortunately, the album as a whole isn't buried under that.
A lot of these songs are observational or about thinly fleshed out characters to get at a deeper truth. All Boys Want is a good example, contrasting a simplistic view of boys (really all of us) with the core truth that our needs are a more complex as superset of the simplistic view. "It's not all boys want, but all boys want it..." The music is a thoughtful pop ballad groove. It's fun to listen to and it's more satisfying than some kind of pure pop fluff.
The range on Topless is a sign of a more mature band, too. You First musically evokes Sinead O'Connor's You Cause as Much Sorrow. The drum beat is simple, carried by bass and organ. Church hall echoes. The lyrics are vulnerable, about opening yourself to another person and hoping for the best. The title reference holds a glimmer of Too Much Joy, saying effectively, "let's bare our souls, but you go first..."
Several of the songs sound more like Too Much Joy, like A Different Kind of Love, but the best of these is The Possibilities, which sounds like it came off Cereal Killers or Son of Sam I Am. This song talks about a bygone time and what could have been. The story orbits around references to the Tennessee Three, Johnny Cash's old back up band, drawing parallels between the band on stage and the other characters in the song. Referencing the Tennessee Three is obscure enough, but the keyboard riffs at the end quoting from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's Lucky Man are just another layer of detail for a music aficionado.
Another stand out song is Fuck Yeah, which starts out sounding like a Jill Sobule cover. The lyrics are about self indulgence and self-surrender, carried by a country tinged ballad feel: angst-ridden, yet sedated. Without the AutoTune tweaks, it would have been one of my favorites.
If you liked Too Much Joy, you probably already know about these guys. If not, check out Wonderlick and their old TMJ material. Topless at the Arco Arena is available for free streaming. Give it a listen and buy a copy. Then, pour a grown up drink, like bourbon on the rocks, and "smash a glass and cry".
Further listening
Too Much Joy, King of Beers (other older stuff is here)
Sinead O'Connor, You Cause as Much Sorrow, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Jill Sobule, Bloody Valentine, California Years
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