Shawn Mrazek Lives! | Thought He Was Dead [Review]

One song in, and you’re left to wonder “Why the hell has this guy been hiding out behind a drum kit his whole life?” Sure, Shawn Mrazek is establishing this as his proper solo debut, but not without the helping hands of, oh, you know a few members of Apollo Ghosts, Destroyer, and They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?. So, no, this isn’t really your average singer-songwriter fare: it’s zany, chaotic, and a bit of a mess, in the best possible way. This incredibly short collection of incredibly short songs clocks in under twenty minutes, but zero time is wasted in finding feet or stumbling about: Mrazek quickly establishes his intent, building a fuzzy garage rock canvas and running circles around it with his wacky vocals. It’s hard to say how this would transfer to a full-length release, but that seems to be part of the point of Mrazek’s fast-paced message here: he’s having a good ass time, and that’s unquestionable. Short and sweet: quality, not quantity: it’s a nice refreshing reminder. “There is another world inside of this one,” Mrazek sings. What the hell he’s going on about I’m not sure. But that’s half the fun.

Listen to Thought He Was Dead here