My Old Kentucky Blog on "Olly Oxen Free"
When was the last time you heard a good pop song about being haunted by Bloody Mary? I know I asked myself that question a lot until I came across In the Mirror from Mason Proper's sophomore album Olly Oxen Free, out Sept. 23 on Dovecote Records. After repeated listens, I found myself drawn in by the album's dark and deranged lyrics, which stand in stark contrast to the eerily pleasing pop backdrop. So I decided to break away from the lite and focus on the heavy for once. Dodge has also taken a liking to Mason Proper in recent months.
Olly Oxen Free is the sophomore LP from the five-piece out of Michigan that is co-produced by the band and Chris Coady (TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Blonde Redhead). The title insinuates that it's safe to come out from your hiding place, but the album's content suggests otherwise. Lead vocalist Jonathan Visger uses his crisp, clear wail of a voice to lead listeners through a minefield of weirdness. Point A to Point B is a song about de-evolving into a rock or a creature that can't think by intentionally losing karma points. Seriously. Yet it's hard to fight the urge to not sing along with the bleak chorus.
Ominous song titles like Out Dragging the River, Alone and Safe For The Time Being prove there aren't many silver linings to be found on Olly Oxen Free. But Visger so deftly weaves his bizarre tales with such exuberance over brightly spooky, sometimes minimal, instrumentation that you can't help but let the music crawl under your skin. In fact, Safe For The Time Being sounds like it's being accompanied by a chorus of ghosts, making it all the more unearthly and unsettling. Maybe that's why it sticks with you.
If, like me, you accidentally overlooked Mason Proper's 2007 debut release There is a Moth In Your Chest, you might want to give the band a fresh look with Olly Oxen Free. Stay tuned for more from the band on MOKB in coming months.