Cassette Review: Restaurnaut "Birth" (Rok Lok Records)

[$5 // Edition of 40 // https://roklokrecords.bandcamp.com/album/birth] 

If you've ever wondered why I am a fan of both Rok Lok Records and Restaurnaut then you should look no further than the cassette "Birth".    While other musicians might sing about the birth of a child, in the sense of becoming a parent, Restaurnaut instead seems to be singing of his own birth, from the time that he was born and into making music.    As only Restaurnaut could do- and Rok Lok could bring you- the first few moments of this cassette are sung without any backing music.   They are just there.   By themselves.   Bare.  Alone.  Vulnerable.  The way someone is when they first come into this world.    So highly appropriate and fitting for the title of the cassette.

Robotic, electronic mechanics come into play and eventually these songs take on their own weird vibe that is rock music at its core but kind of goes about the long way of getting there.    That is to say, it's not straight up guitar/bass/drums, as there are other instruments in play for sure, but it accomplishes the same sort of idea in the end.   It's complex, reminds me of Flaming Lips and yet somehow remains melodic overall with these catchy hooks that come more from the music itself than the lyrics.     From an acoustic guitar to drum machines this can just as easily bring about clanking and whistles before going all lo-fi on you.    I also feel the need to mention that in some ways it does resemble Grouplove.

The lyrics are on a personal narrative.   Restaurnaut tells you stories, some about growing up and that sort of idea of life and some are just of personal preferences.   I particularly enjoy the lyric about "exercise your exorcism on TV" because it either makes me want to throw my television out the window or air my dirty laundry on a reality show-- I'm not sure which.    But that is the way that the lyrics of Restaurnaut read.    Sometimes they seem so straight forward, but other times you can spend time listening to them over and over, trying to figure them out, like reading a great book.  (Sorry high school English teachers, there is no one correct answer to "What is this book about?")

I'm not sure if they still have record label subscriptions or if they ever did, but if you're not subscribed to Rok Lok Records than you've obviously not been paying attention to all of the words that I type.    This is one of those instances where friends work together and Restaurnaut- an artist I enjoy greatly- ends up on a label I enjoy greatly.   I guess there is a bit of relativity in the cassette community in that way, that everyone seems to get around and this might mean an eventual Stars Are Insane cassette release on Kerchow, but even if that isn't brought on by this you just have to keep listening to Restaurnaut.    If not for me, do it for the horses.