One should never diagnose someone from afar, but listening to the musical projects of Madison, Wisconsin’s Tyler Fassnacht does make you wonder about the split personality at work. His most recent Baby Tyler album was wild, feral, and gloriously unhinged, with Fassnacht sounding like he was jabbing a finger in your chest and spitting in your face.
Cloud Envy, the first TS Foss record in three years, reveals a very different side of the songwriter. Garage punk this is not. Country, outsider folk, and DIY heartland rock feel like more appropriate descriptions. Listen to Say It Out Loud, Horseshoes, and Broken ATM for the former; Pilots & Bagboys and Out of Reach for the latter, two of the album’s standout tracks.
These songs carry the kind of honesty and lack of polish that make them feel road-tested and pulled straight from real life.You can almost picture them being recorded straight to tape in the back room of some Wisconsin bar after closing time.
Even in this quieter setting, Fassnacht’s songwriting remains instantly recognizable. The same restless creativity that powers Baby Tyler is at work here, only channeled into something more reflective and weathered. Supported by C. Nelson-Lifson on bass, Emili Earhart on piano, Marley van Raalte and Jacob Wolbert on drums, and Peter Briggs on pedal steel, Fassnacht and company have brewed up something special.
Tape available now on NightBell Records.
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