Earnest
Prelude
I'm a pretty resourceful gal, I love context clues, but none here I could think of. Maybe dropping us in a scene of complete
confusion adds to the idea of family mess? More likely, a subject of aging and grief around loss of physical ability. If
you're wondering who the National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Champion of 1944 is, it's "Wild Bill" Longson,
who you could've watched for 15 cents. Way to miss out.
The real star of the show is the electric guitar. It does have a sort of rustic Texas country feel, which I liked! No doubt
they are talented guitarists. The sliding guitar seems to be a staple in Amelia's Best Friend's toolbox, and I'm a fan of it;
it's working well to break up some chord monotony. Give the song a listen!
Which, I assume, stands for world record champions. Lyrically, a lot going on. I must say, a band of few but many words? Does
that make sense? Not sure, but here are all of the lyrics:
"up from the top ropes i fell a long way down"
"marry anne elizabeth aint gonna see me now"
"wrestlings pretty hard when you're 96 years old"
"world record champions 1944"
Theory-wise, "Tile" sits in C# minor, and the whole song basically orbits around a G#m7 chord. Which, if that doesn't mean
anything to you, know that's why the song sounds like they forgot to end with a final chord. This song, and Amelia's Best Friend
as a collective (in my opinion) could be a pillar of its genre. Slowcore, MJ Lenderman-esque, it's often built on minor keys
and requires a spiritual and tonal placement of ambivalence. "Tile" isn't doing anything wildly original with its key choice,
but it's doing it really well. It is genuinely a solid example to understand why the genre sounds the way it does.
Sad boys love minor.
The lyricism on "Tile" is genuinely witty, if I am indeed reading it correctly. "Blue is my favorite / i like your smile
/ what is your favorite?" The repetition of favorite is doing a really great job of conveying the gushiness within the
conversation. What I thought of during the performance of "Tile" was the inept little dialogue you have with someone you're
crushing on, where you can't quite say anything of substance because you're too flustered. And "barefoot on tile" signals
something more intimate, maybe someone you've actually been physical with and spent the night together. If I am reading this
right, the lyricism here is strong. Vocally, I wasn't impressed, live or on the record. Which is more a relic of the genre
and vocal style, not much of a critique. A lot of slowcore leans into this vocal style. I don't totally know the right word
for it, but it can read as either skilled enough to know when to care or not skilled enough to care. You either trap the Duster
mucus in your throat for artistry, or it's just truly all the vocal skill God gave you.
Next, following "Tile" was "W.R.C."
I’m going through songs Amelia’s Best Friend played at 29th, starting with “Tile”.
All around a pretty great song. The quality
live is almost identical. They did a killer
job on that song. I was impressed vocally!!
Earlier, I said singers are either skilled
enough to know when to care or not skilled
enough to care. This is the song where
they cared. We got some serious intimacy
in this song, and it's one I'll keep
streaming from them. Fumbling at your own
front door, drunk, having just thrown up
in someone else's car, aspects of the real
human experience!!! I can't speak to
wrestling while 96, but I once threw up
drunk in a hotel bathroom, I can feel
whatever shame is being conveyed for sure.
Onto my favorite Amelia's Best Friend song, "Satellite (Machine)"
"Fold at the Dotted Line"
This song is much more math rock; I think it would be insane of me not to give it credit. Crab boils, a fast food
parfait going warm in the drive-thru line, land-locked states folding on the dotted line like maybe a paper map.
Small, specific images, and then out of nowhere: "the wind chills out a night, we seem to forget, in the summertime, we just don't align." They've demonstrated competence and the ability to walk the audience through a scene. Between the riffs and the sliding guitar on "W.R.C.", they're talented guitarists; I have no notes on musicianship.
Closing Remarks
Do your own research, listen to their stuff, and holla at me.
I could wrap this up quickly: my ear isn't the only one that matters; this band clearly lands for the people
it's built for. But that's not my conclusion. Here's my actual conclusion. Amelia's Best Friend is a talented
band doing good work, and I genuinely don't want that to get lost in what follows. I walked out of that
show with real respect for musicianship, but no real urge to talk with them about songwriting or their band
story, because I felt no real pull from the music itself. Sure, call it "not my cup of tea" if you want an
easy exit. But my teacup is pretty big. What I believe the root of it to be is this: these are guys who have
thought hard about how they come across, and not as hard about what they're actually trying to say musically.
It is a legitimate skill to listen to the artists you love and make a solid extension of that sound. What's
harder, and what I believe actually makes music compelling, is when individuals have absorbed themselves
and their lived experiences within their art to the point that distinguishing influence and musical identity
is challenging. I'm not sure Amelia's Best Friend has landed there yet. If the lyricism isn't going to be
the thing within their set that consistently makes them undeniable, then musical innovation has to be.
This is the difference between a band I respect and a band I'd chase down after a show.