Frankie Furillo spent 15 years playing experimental grindcore with The Central, but that tells you nothing about what to expect from his pop project It’s All You, Cowboy. I Can’t Eat is what happens when someone who’s mastered extreme music decides to make something catchy you can actually dance to: a unique brand of sophisto-pop that’s part AOR, part yacht rock, part ’80s/’90s neo-soul, and a whole lot more. Think Michael McDonald’s solo records filtered through basement show desperation and too much caffeine and sugar. It should be a mess, but it’s the exact opposite. Tenement gets namedropped too, and indeed, some of the vocal melodies are reminiscent of that band. Of course Tenement’s Amos Pitsch is involved, though not in production but rather in art direction, and his Crutch of Memory label is releasing the record.

I Can’t Eat is a sonically rich album packed with different styles, layered vocal harmonies, and key-driven hooks that burrow into your brain. Lyrically, it’s a tour through self-deprecation, romantic dysfunction, and the grinding mundanity of just trying to get through the day. Furillo documents what it’s like to exist with relationships that fall apart and a brain that won’t shut up. Absurdism and tenderness go hand in hand in these songs.

Furillo treats his songs with precision and care. Clearly a lot of attention to detail went into the arrangements, and yet this is not a sterile record. Snark, sparks, and snickers all go together, and this is way more fun to listen to than I expected before pressing play. And the video for Loser? Hang it in your local modern art museum!

I Can’t Eat is out now on Crutch of Memory as a digital album and double-cassette. It’s pretty special.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp