By It’s our Bandcamp Pick of the Week, featuring Lawn member Rui Gabriel’s breezy sounding but intense solo outing COMPASSION, out now via Carpark Records!
Rui Gabriel – COMPASSION
Genre: Indie Pop
Favorite Tracks: “Summertime Tiger,” “Eyes Only,” “End Of My Rope”
The emotional immediacy and pop savvy of Rui Gabriel’s solo debut, COMPASSION, should come as no surprise to anyone who has heard a Lawn album over the last few years—even if this collection of coming-of-age songs are more restrained and perhaps lyrically forward than those of his New Orleans’ rock band, the affecting hooks and tunefully divine choruses remain steadfast.
With writing and production help from Lawn member Nicholas Corson, COMPASSION hones in on a breezy pop style that favors tight studio production over a more slipshod live sound—as the liner notes point out, he set out to get away from music “where he writes frenetic post-punk songs and yells.” The bass and drums are consistently locked in, from the windswept rush of “Change Your Mind” to the ticking foxtrot “Target.” Both of those songs feature guest vocals from the great Kate Teague, who appears four times on the record with colorful harmonies that brighten Gabriel’s carefree performance. Similarly, we can call off the search, as Stef Chura shows signs of life in an all too rare appearance filling out standout single “Summertime Tiger,” an airy ditty that could read as a modern deep cut from acts like The Chills or The Clean.
The album’s ultimate one-two punch, and subsequently a beautiful microcosm of its brilliance, comes near the end. The rollicking blues number “Eyes Only” features whistling, a grippingly sparse guitar solo, and a stylishly cool delivery from Gabriel, but this time that combined package of twee sentiments meets lyrics and delivery that feel grimy and old school—hearing it gives you this uncanny feeling that COMPASSION’s pop style can be flush with a clenched fist intensity that is intentionally masked by the light, jaunty production. Then comes the starry “End Of My Rope,” a dreamy, almost nostalgic, recollection of a fight with a partner; that aforementioned intensity is quietly quelled—or at the very least softened—by Gabriel’s sweetly cooing vocals and the hypnotic free falling synths. When the album ends, you immediately give it another listen and become that much more invested in hearing Gabriel’s visceral songwriting through this brisk, beautiful production. You can check out COMPASSION over on Bandcamp today.
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