Wow. "The Punchline" by the effervescently melancholy Child Seat, the creative, complex duo formed in 2021 by Madeleine Mathews (MAWD) and Josiah Mazzaschi (Light FM, Bizou) is the kind of song that draws you back to other times, so fast that the suction might just give you faint chills like it did for me. Mathews' songwriting and vocal aesthetic, fragile, hushed, passionate and washed with glass like reflections / distortions (or such) is pained but lush at the same time. Her emotional vocal countenance pushes buttons in your brain of 80's fantasy rock and 90's glacial post punk. Mazzaschi is at the production helm here and with over twenty plus years recording and producing iconic artists like The Jesus and the Mary Chain, Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins, Deap Vally, Built to Spill, Rilo Kiley and more, as well as writing/performing for his own projects Light FM, Motorhome, and Bizou and knows how to create self contained sonic universes as he does here.
It is funny, "The Punchline" has all the chunky dreaminess that you want from this kind of sound, an urgent all encompassing emotional sound that had me thinking of artists from different decades (touchstones) diverse as Bronkski Beat, The Human League, Melody's Echo Chamber, MGMT, Grouplove, Cocteau Twins but as much as you want to dance, you want to cry, to clutch yourself in the fetal position too. The narrative, the theme can be crushing, heartbreaking depending on what your headspace is at the time you listen. The song has a heavy patina of looking back at your life's decisions maybe too much, a life coated with a patina of regret and the falsity of would of, should of.
But nobody's laughing
I’ve been waiting for the punchline
But nothing ever seems to happen"
"Hello
How are you?
Do you wish we could have done it different?"
"Hello
How are you?
Do you feel like something's missing?"
How are you?
Do you wish we could have done it different?"
"Hello
How are you?
Do you feel like something's missing?"
From liner notes:
[Written a week before Madeleine's 30th birthday, she reflected on the younger version of herself and pondered if this is where she thought she would be at this point in her life and would the younger her be proud. With the pressure of starting a family, getting married, achieving success, and not quite being where she wants to in her music career, it's easy to get caught up in the comparison game.]
Life can feel like a cosmic joke. "The Punchline" is, in the end, a thoughtful look in a mirror that was broken a long time ago. It is drenched in the tears of what feels like missteps but are really just steps. It is maybe about punching through regret and finding self acceptance.
LOVE this fucking song.
[Child Seat just released their debut album "Bad Holiday" in the Fall of 2022 with features from Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins and saxophonist Ron Dziubla (with notable features on Jon Batiste's Grammy winning album).]
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2glGedITk1hxwHS228RVnw
https://www.youtube.com/@childseatmusic
https://www.instagram.com/childseatmusic/
Child Seat, the powerhouse duo formed in 2021 by Madeleine Mathews (MAWD) and Josiah Mazzaschi (Light FM, Bizou), turns pandemic setbacks into indie rock gold. With the entirety of their debut album written remotely during the pandemic, Mathews’ powerful rock vocals, reminiscent of artists like Brittany Howard/Karen O., creates a unique juxtaposition over Mazzaschi's 80's synth-heavy instrumentals and blended with MGMT/Beach House/Arctic Monkeys vibes.
Child Seat encompasses both Mathews and Mazzaschi’s strengths. Mazzaschi has over 20+ years of success recording and producing artists like The Jesus and the Mary Chain, Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins, Deap Vally, Built to Spill, Rilo Kiley and more, as well as writing/performing for his own projects; Light FM, Motorhome, and Bizou. Mathews, who has fronted and written for numerous bands as well has won songwriting competitions, is defined by her unique vocal styling and powerful lyricism.
Child Seat encompasses both Mathews and Mazzaschi’s strengths. Mazzaschi has over 20+ years of success recording and producing artists like The Jesus and the Mary Chain, Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins, Deap Vally, Built to Spill, Rilo Kiley and more, as well as writing/performing for his own projects; Light FM, Motorhome, and Bizou. Mathews, who has fronted and written for numerous bands as well has won songwriting competitions, is defined by her unique vocal styling and powerful lyricism.
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