Wow. Is it me, or does Palehound sound razor sharp on their new album Eye Of The Bat. Few records in recent days has managed to reach this level of urgency, this level of vulnerability, and this level of authenticity. Eli Kempner uses words as arrows on a mission, and sings them with so much honesty and rawness, there is just no denying Eye On The Bat. This is powerful stuff, haunting and awesome.
Listening to Eye On The Bat feels a bit like opening my favorite book. I can find something memorable on each page. Kempner opens songs with lines like “I didn’t wanna see that bloody hand on your stomach that night,” “I’ve become the person I’d wanna punch in the face,” and “We broke up on Independence Day, crying while the next door neighbors raged.” Even though you are reluctant to discover the backstory to these outpourings, it’s impossible to look away. You want to know what happened. The music almost works as a soundtrack to the lyrics, sounding more ominously, hushed or cathartic depending on the emotions Kempner wants to evoke.
Kempner has created the perfect record for lovers of books, and the perfect short story collection for lovers of music. Eye On The Bat is a special kind of record. It is out now on Polyvinyl Records.