Lawrence Rothman has been difficult to pigeonhole musically over the years. As a teen they formed a number of different groups – from hip-hop to punk. But they first started gaining national attention as the singer/guitarist and co-founder of The Living Things, a garage rock band that dipped into punk and psychobilly at times, ultimately putting out more than half a dozen albums and EPs.
Over the past decade since going solo they (Rothman is non-binary) have pivoted to a more indie rock sound, but their latest is the strongest lean yet into a more Americana influence. And it begs the question of what took so long as Rothman’s deep baritone suggests Johnny Cash and the melancholic nature of this record is perfectly suited for their voice.
Rothman – also an in-demand songwriter and producer having worked with everyone from Angel Olsen, Margo Price and Amanda Shires to Kim Gordon and Soccer Mommy – lays out a stark gothic country tone in the first couple of tracks, (“Yesterday Tomorrow,” “Reckless Flame”) before segueing into the remarkable “LAX,” a beautiful duet with Shires. From that moment on the album is an emotional tour de force
Recorded in Nashville, the album deals with a number of heavy issues, including Rothman’s decade-long struggle with body dysmorphia, as well as covering themes of addiction and gender identity. Though sonically very different, it is as emotionally vulnerable as Against Me!’s remarkable Transgender Dysmorphia Blues.
“Poster Child,” is the one big outlier musically here with a hypnotic, electronic beat throughout, but it still fits thematically with the record, delving into addiction. Jason Isbell co-wrote the song and provided some powerful guitars to the track. Other guests here include S.G. Goodman on the driving “R. Blood” and Mitski on the dreamy closer “No Vacancy,” a song that effortlessly ramps down the emotions that were stirred in the preceding dozen songs. The album feels like Rothman excising just as many demons but in a deeply compelling way and one you can’t help but go back and listen to from the beginning.
