As the 218 passed by fallen rocks and homes I could only imagine were inhabited by those far better off than me in the hills of Hollywood, Dowsing’s It’s Still Pretty Terrible played, well at least half of it did. The other half was then enjoyed past 1am with The Hallmark Channel on mute while I questioned my life decisions. My mindset in these listening locations mirrored each half of It’s Still Pretty Terrible. One was me feeling the creativity of being in Hollywood; “I’m gonna make it,” said my heart. The other was me alone with only my thoughts and no cosmic brownies late at night; a time where my brain takes over and tells my heart to give it up.
Chicago is home of so many great artists, but they’ve had their time. Right now belongs to Dowsing, so let’s focus on the heart first. That beating organ that makes sure everything else runs right is the music of the record. The strong instrumentals act as the lifeline in tracks like “Get Dead!” and “Lavender.” But, while great in the comfort of your home, sitting down…I can’t imagine having to stand that long in a lucid state at one of their shows. This is the 25 year old going on 40 in me though.
Now for the other side of the record, the brain. It wasn’t that these clusters of songs were smarter than the rest, they just banded together to make a louder statement for the record. “Littoral,” “Midwest Living” and “Up to Me” sounded like this is where the record took a turn in emotion. Everything prior was like someone denying reality and building up tension, and then releasing it with these three.
Dowsing sing about not having “school tonight,” well neither do I (for the past three years). So instead of heading to bed to let me head rest, I got to enjoy the rest of Dowsing’s It’s Still Pretty Terrible. I might agree with the title when it comes to my own life, but I can’t say the same about the music, because it wasn’t terrible. It was a nice blend of indie music and heartfelt lyrics that fans of Dads and Brave Bird would enjoy. You can get It’s Still Pretty Terrible out now on Count Your Lucky Stars.
Leave a Reply