Perennial favorite and apparent non-sleeper Travis Talbert - aka Mavis Guitar - is back with two new records, just in time for this month’s Bandcamp Day (100% of proceeds go to bands and labels who own the music).
The more focused of the two, I’m So Excited, I’m So Scared, finds Talbert toying around with some of his usual Mavis Guitar conventions, but turning them on their head just a little bit by making this a two song duology. He tells me it’s “a reflection on pragmatism and trying to enjoy repetition of routines of life,” and frankly, as someone who follows him on various social media platforms and has listened to several iterations of his music, I can absolutely hear that in the way each track plays out.
The second of the two songs, “This is what I get for letting myself feel happy,” is a 15 minute exercise in joyous repetition - a bit of a sonic love letter to the most precious pieces of his life, especially over the course of a global pandemic. You can check out and purchase I’m So Excited, I’m So Scared via Bandcamp here.
On the flip side is “a score to a movie that does not exist,” called The Composer Has Built the Building. It’s a meditative and sometimes sprawling soundscape that evokes both a quietly passionate love story and a sense of movement through time. Track 5, “Jesse and Becky,” is a soft, almost but not quite melancholy piece of music. It’s shinier than some of the other tracks, maybe just a touch brighter, but it comes with a tinge of sadness, or longing. Either way, it’s sublime and moving.
The album ends with a mildly psychedelic, fuzzy, layered under 2 minute track, “That Kiss Would Have Been Sloppier,” that feels full of energy, and more importantly, hope. A truly lovely way to close out the album, of which would be great to see some visual accompaniment for.
Listen to, purchase, and download The Composer Has Built the Building via Bandcamp right here.
Remember, everything you purchase today on Bandcamp sees all proceeds going to the bands and labels you’re supporting. Let’s do some good.
