At first I was iffy, thinking Sledding With Tiger’s A Necessary Bummer was going to be like that uber-weird hipster stuff my best friend and her boyfriend thinks is magical (love you guys, but I can’t with that), but alas as the songs unraveled I came to appreciate the way this indie, folk yet punkish record played. Plus, any record that shouts out Limp Bizkit in any way shape or form is one I can fully support.
From the get go you were introduced to folk music being played on an indie landscape with lyrics that matched that of an self conscious kid just trying to figure shit out. It was like if you transplanted some of The Wonder Years’ earlier songs into a new musical layout. I loved and attached myself to the self-doubt of “Never Really Good At Sports” and “National Public Radio,” but it was “Not So Body Posi After All” that really did it for me. A Necessary Bummer could’ve been this song 10 times and it’d still would’ve been great to me. The idea of self image is something that’s not talked about in this light too often, so it’s nice to hear that self consciousness in song.
Aside from the tracks that made you reflect and connect, there were some that were just plain adorable. Anyone who’s ever watched Victorious (I was not too old for it, don’t hate) will agree that Matt Bennett could’ve written “Handshake (Never Trust Relationship Advice From The Lead Singer In A Pop-Punk Band).” The same goes for “I Got The Blues Macaroni And Cheese” and “Oh, Right. Damn, It.”
It’s been a minute since I’ve enjoyed a record as much as I have this one, so while I’m noting this for my end of the year list – make sure you get in tune with Sledding With Tigers and check out A Necessary Bummer right now because it’s out for your listening pleasure on Antique Records. I’m serious, waiting any longer will be bad for your health.
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