Jonathan Rado: ‘For Who the Bell Tolls For’ album review: exploring the layers of grief
Ever since their debut, Foxygen has continually twisted their sound towards an explorative end. Whereas most artists might find the right sound and stick with it until the end, the baroque pop collective has often used the studio as a sonic canvas, usually using any instrument to suit their needs. While many of the band’s albums have the potential to bend a listener’s ear towards something new, Jonathan Rado helps open his listener’s hearts on his latest solo album.
Compared with his main band’s output, though, Rado isn’t looking to demonstrate as much technical finesse as his earlier records. Outside of his various musical and production works, the loss of former muse Richard Swift coats the album in a haze of solemnity before a note of music is even played, with the title serving as a grim reminder of what the listener has to look forward to.
While there are many similarities at first glance between For Who the Bell Tolls For and any other Foxygen releases, Rado has much more emotional baggage to unpack on this record than one might expect. Even though the album runs at a meagre seven tracks, every one of them feels necessary in telling an emotionally gripping tale of heartache.
From the moment the title track begins, Rado sets the scene of what seems to be a relationship that is broken down by mortality. Although Rado keeps things reasonably subdued vocally, the instrumentation behind him is going for broke, featuring a gradual crescendo of sound composed of old-school keyboard patches.
Despite the sprawling promise that the opener offers, much of the album takes its tentative time breaking down the little moments that come with facing mortality. As the titles would suggest, every track on the album feels like a subtle peek into the lives of these two people, slowly going through the different stages of emotional grief alongside the music.
While ‘Don’t Wait Too Long’ may be the hookiest song on the record by default, the track isn’t without its fair share of fallow spots. Fitting somewhere between the sounds of 1970s soft rock and gothic beauty, Rado is practically pleading with his friend to let him down easy, which doesn’t seem to be reciprocated on the next track, ‘Easier’.
The album might be resplendent with subtle emotions and sincerity, but there are also a handful of moments where the tracks start to wane. While a song like ‘Farther Away’ may capture the feeling of losing contact with his former creative partner, the composition does tend to drag on a little longer than it should, leading to the track saying a three-minute message over the course of five.
On the other hand, a track like ‘Blue Moon’ feels like it is on the verge of saying something unprecedented before wrapping itself up prior to the three-minute mark. While the song may be a look into the few happy moments Rado and Swift shared, it feels like an important contextualising point that is skipped over too quickly before the record heads right back into sombre territory.
Although ‘Walkaway’ makes for a stirring goodbye to Swift, Rado saves his greatest trick for last on ‘Yer Funeral’. Standing at seven minutes, this instrumental may be one of the most stirring pieces of music the indie scene has offered this year, playing the same type of piano lick over and over to the point of insanity, encapsulating the depths of grief with a strange beauty.
Lado hammers away at the production, coaxing a sound worthy of the track’s stark title. As the song plays on, the music practically feels like a heartbeat, going through the different processes of sorrow before slowly drawing to a close by fading into the background.
While For Who the Bell Tolls For is rarely an uplifting experience, every track is a unique insight into Rado’s state of mind as he comes to terms with the concept of loss in his life. It might not be easy addressing the heartache, but sometimes emotions this strong demand to be felt. They mightn’t roar their way off the album consistently, but it is an honourable exorcism with flashes of class.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.