Chris Weisman easily could be the poster child for the slacker generation. Content with twiddling around with guitars, making surprisingly excellent music with opaque Beatles references, he doesn’t care whether or not he’s popular. Besides recording these lo-fi gems, he works part time as a guitar teacher. This is just a warning so you know what to expect.
Hailing from the ultra-liberal bastion of Brattleboro, Vermont, he records without any concern about popular trends. If you don’t remember, Brattleboro impeached Bush and Cheney which was clearly effective. It has a wide array of people of many political persuasions, including Liberal, moderate liberal, very liberal, ultra-liberal, and one guy who’s a Republican and really quiet about it. I mention this because some of his songs harp upon his politics, but without being horribly overwhelming about it.
Musically, he comes across a bit like R. Stevie Moore. Similar to Mr. Moore, he sometimes uses volumes and mixing that might not always make sense (like the snare hit on “O.K.O.T.F” or, better yet, the weird jam of “Doubling You” which gives off heavy hints of R. Stevie Moore’s madcap hi-jinks). Like Mr. Moore he uses the lo-fi not as a cloak but as just a way of getting his point across.
The quieter songs tend to work better. “B.O.A.C” is a particular favorite of mine. Its meditative nature alongside a sincere love of the subject matter makes it a winner. Though it is a bit unconventional to start an album out with the longest song, this offers a lot of soul. “Rag Bus” works well and shows off his similar tasteful arrangements. I particularly enjoy the “I live in the dead bodies of SUVs/I’ve forsaken every modern disease But I’ve in love with the world/So be nice to me please”. His voice is sweet enough to make that unusually touching. Mixing the surreal musings with sincere care is a bit hard to pull off.
He never goes too far into sentimentality with this. Apparently his music completely lacks any of irony and he genuinely loves each piece he’s written. Even though the music moves slowly, it never feels like it drags. This is perhaps the most authentic guitar player you’ll hear for some while. Hopefully he someday decides to release more and come out of his shell.