In the lead-up to Kyle Thomas' fourth
King Tuff LP, the songwriter/multi-instrumentalist found himself at home in L.A., run down from years of touring, and feeling more and more distanced from the good-time rock & roller persona he'd created. Thomas decided to reset in a few ways: He made an effort to write songs that he could play solo with just a guitar, he self-produced the tracks for the first time since his debut, and he recorded the songs in a newly assembled home studio. He also played many of the instruments himself, with the exception of drums (
Ty Segall, Charles Moothart) and saxophones (
Mikal Cronin). The only other guests on the album were his all-star backing vocalists
Jenny Lewis,
Kevin Morby,
Greta Morgan, and
Segall. Calling it
The Other, his first album since 2014's Billboard 200-charting
Black Moon Spell is still radiantly psychedelic and off the beaten path, but it's also conspicuously his most introspective to date. He sets the stage with the title track, a six-minute prologue he said is about "hitting rock bottom" and rediscovering inspiration. It opens with what sounds like a small, hand-rung bell, followed by solemn organ and acoustic guitar that act as an ostinato under Thomas' half-spoken narrative. The album then mushrooms, so to speak, into a lava lamp-inflected, saxophone-bolstered groove on "Raindrop Blue," a colorful love song with lyrics like "You dazzled me with destiny and magnetized my mouth." Expansive arrangements built on funky basslines, vintage keyboards, and vibrant textures pervade the rest of
The Other, which continues in kind. It's a more thoughtful, philosophical
King Tuff, for certain, but
The Other is far from a downer, with Thomas' individuality and catchy pop sensibilities still intact. ~ Marcy Donelson