Leslie Mendelson has released “Medication“, the second single from the singer/songwriter’s upcoming studio album, ‘If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…‘ due April 17 via Royal Potato Family. A haunting, piano ballad, Mendelson examines the pain and conflict caused by pharmaceutical addiction to those around her and even in her own life at times.
“I had a friend who struggled with anti-depressants for a long time. It eventually got so bad that she took her own life. It was a devastating loss,” explains Mendelson. “There are so many people dealing with this struggle, myself at times included. We are all trying to find a balance.”
“Medication” is one of several songs on the new 10-track collection that are a reaction to these all too dark days. “Would You Give Up Your Gun?” removes the politics from the gun rights debate to pose a stark question based solely on one’s humanity. “I Need Something To Care About” is a plea to rise above numbing depression caused by overexposure to media. The title track is a blast of old school downtown NYC attitude and garage rock swagger that can be interpreted in a number of ways, not least of which a directive to politicians, social media trolls, fellow artists and even herself. “Lay It All On Me,” a love song at its core, also can’t escape the pressure of the ever-encroaching modern world as the narrator looks to absorb the pain of a withering lover.
Leslie Mendelson has released two prior albums, including her Grammy Award-nominated debut, ‘Swan Feathers.’ The first collection exhibited a production sheen she opted to strip away on her predominately acoustic sophomore effort, ‘Love & Murder.’ Conceptually, her latest, ‘If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…’ was largely inspired by John Lennon‘s ‘Plastic Ono Band‘ with its lo-fi, no-frills guitar, piano, bass and drums approach.
