PLASTICSOUP
THE BEAUTY OF DYSFUNCTION (BARHILL RECORDS)
Less rough than the previous album, almost a little poppy, the eight songs move between indie rock, psychedelic, Americana and post-punk.
Dark, spherical soundscapes alternate with noisy, dissonant outbursts ("Drift", "Passerby"), with Nick Cave even peeking around the corner from time to time ("The Blanket").
"The Beauty Of Dysfunction" is not a concept album - but the title could be a leitmotif for the lyrics to the songs: it's about ruptures, contradictions, cracks on the surface - be it in love relationships ("Easy Care"), in life plans ("All we've ever had (was enough)") or the relationship between so-called minorities and the "majority" ("Difference").
On the other hand, there are the many charlatans who call themselves "life coaches" and market their self-optimization as a substitute religion ("Ode to Excellence") online or in high-paying "keynotes".
And last but not least, the fucking populists who want to make you believe that everything is simple ("Habits").
It's not. It is difficult. Living - and loving - means accepting dissonance, recognizing the beauty in imperfection.