Kristian Thomsen
Weeds and Pills (CD-R Demo)
 Shmat always has a little softy spot for the music Peoples from across the sea that send him their homemade CD-Rs and tapes in hopes of a review. Why? It costs quite a bit more to send it, so the least the Shmat can do is give their work a respectable listen and write a little bit about it. Also, the tendency for fascinating and quirky (albeit very lo-fi) stuff to come spilling out from places like Copenhagen, which is where today's blue plate special Kristian Thomsen comes from, usually makes the discs a worthwhile listen. And that often translates into interesting reviews.
But Wowshmat. On his CD entitled Weeds and Pills, Kristian gives Calvin Johnson a mean old run for his money on having the deepest baritone the Shmat has ever encountered. It is truly low. And the wobbliness on his out-of-tune, gravelly voice is nearly everywhere. At times he sings like he's sort of reading off a piece of paper, he'll often hesitate and grope for the right word. That could be charming in that Shaggs, Beat Happening, or early early Pavement way. Or it could be impossibly bad like someone who refuses to listen to people when they tell him he's out of tune. But apparently other there are other Peoples who at least somewhat dig his work, since he's been released on the BSBTA label in the past. Anyhow, since when has out-of-tune bothered the Shmat. Hey, you know: art is art, right? Duchamp toilet and all.
The nine songs are all just him and an acoustic guitar, often played in psuedo random fashion. Often monotonic folk dirges, the tunes pretty much hover in the down-in-the-dumps atmosphere of E minor and other drony scales. Some of these tracks feel like they're only the primordial spark of songs that could possibly be turned into great and raw music vehicles ala the Guided By Voices route. As is the case with many of these singer-songwriter solo acts, Shmat sort of wished a few of the songs might have had some other stuff to change things up. Even a cheapo drum machine or 10 dollar keyboard might have helped to keep his attention a little longer. In general, Kristian is no American Idol singer but as with all the reality TV shows, Shmat says, who needs that crud anyway!
- review by SHMAT (4.29.04)
Kristian Thomsen
ullabandulla66@hotmail.com
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