Wristwatch — MJ Lenderman
#365Songs: October 3rd
So you say I’ve got a funny face
It makes me money
So you say I’ve wasted my life away
Well
I got a beach home up in Buffalo
And a wristwatch that’s
A compass and a cell phone
And a wristwatch that
Tells me you’re all alone
Every now and then an artist comes around who garners universal love from all directions — other artists I love, publications I trust, friends whose taste I respect. When this happens, I stop everything to listen. And rarely, I’ll discover I just don’t get it. St. Vincent comes to mind — I may respect her artistry, but she both bores and annoys me. This year’s example is MJ Lenderman, whose new album Manning Fireworks is on everyone’s shortlist except for mine. I’d comfortably argue that his best song this year isn’t even his, but Waxahatchee’s perfect Right Back To It, for which he plays a fairly secondary role. His music is perfectly fine, and if I heard him in a bar I wouldn’t leave the room. But mostly I’m left confused by all the hype. Perhaps modern day dirty lo-fi just ain’t my thing.
That said, I do like the middle-of-the-album track, Wristwatch. I appreciate the takedown of YouTube / Podcast-era masculinity, this false belief that wealth is power and power is influence and influence requires having a fucking misguided opinion about everything.
From Stereogum: “In an interview with The New York Times, Lenderman said the song is inspired by Andrew Tate and ‘this idea of alpha males gaining popularity. People spend thousands of dollars thinking they can learn how to be the ‘perfect man’ or something. It’s embarrassing.’”
I’d still take your Amazing Grace
I’d give all my money
And I’d still take your pretty face
And I’ve got a houseboat docked at the
Himbo Dome
Lenderman’s a master of stoner garage-influenced rock, a less meandering and arguably less interesting Kurt Vile. There’s still a humor to his songwriting, and he certainly knows his way with the guitar. A one-off song here or there doesn’t completely alienate me, but the thought of listening to his album in one sitting is about as likely as me revisiting a Black Keys album. Ain’t gonna happen, folks.
What I do appreciate is that an unsuspecting indie artist is getting an outsized amount of attention, and that’s a win for all of us. And given his audience, he’s certainly making the most of the exposure with Wristwatch to draw attention away from the Joe Rogans, Mr. Beasts, Logan Pauls, and Andrew Tates of the world while throwing them at the clever center of his target. So while it’s a bit unnerving to be writing this post at all about an artist I care so little about, I do feel okay about this one.
And a wristwatch that’s a
Pocket knife and a megaphone
And a wristwatch that tells me
I’m on my own
While the algorithms feed us the most toxic content these days, we need to work harder to go against the grain to find its anthesis and spread what we love to others. As it becomes more and more difficult for true artists to find an audience, it’s up to us to play our part. YouTube and Instagram serve us the exact opposite of what we truly need, fueling a collective mental health crisis, body dysmorphia, while platforming the world’s worst falsehood-spreading humans. Spotify recommends every Joe Rogan episode, even though I’ve never listened to a second of his ignorant rants — and there’s no way to opt out — but fails to inform me when a favorite artist releases a new album.
And a wristwatch that tells me
I’m on my own
If you follow my posts, playlists, and recommendations, I hope I’ve been an eclectic influence — introducing songs and sounds that easily get lost in the algorithm.
Your megaphone may never be as loud as it needs to be, but you still have a voice and when you fall in love with something, share it. Whether we like it or not, you’re countering the algorithm and drawing attention to something worthy of others’ attention.
~
Start following the #365Songs playlist today, and listen to each new song with each new article!
