Gary Air and the brazen psychedelic rock honesty of "Faceless Man"

"Mother / I’d hoped you’d learned your lesson / After all that’s passed / I thought you that you were ready / To move on at last / But clearly I expected too much..."

The brazen psychedelic rock honesty of "Faceless Man" by Boston, Massachusetts artist Gary Air, and featured on his eponymous 2025 album, feels drawn, seeded from classic 70's rock modes with artful expressions of indie, psych, folk centric rock and art rock dreaminess. I am loving the stepping back, the essentially analog old school leans. The lead dropsm some double lead, feels so dreamy. The blues rock / folk shapes, the southern rock screams feel so earnestly drawn as to not really sound like retro rock at all, the sounds just are what they are. The vocal persona is perfect for this sound as well. 

The artist shares:

"psych rock song about confronting my mom about her poor relationship choices lol"

AND the lyrics paint a sad but endearing situation and while listening, one wonders what time frame the song draws from, teenager to parent or adult to parent. My mind's eye feels the lyrics from both ends of the equation. 

LYRICS:  

Mother
I’d hoped you’d learned your lesson
After all that’s passed
I thought you that you were ready
To move on at last
But clearly I expected too much

Mother
Do you believe in fate
Or is there no design
That keeps the pieces
Of your life
Falling out of line
Is there nothing holding them?

And do you think you can
Face the faceless man?
Hold his frozen hand?
Then you don’t understand

Others
Who came before you
Walked the path
That you now tread
They sacrificed their
Joy to earn
Their daily bread
And now you stand
Inside their shoes

Mother
Your arguments
Are unconvincing
Even to yourself
Is love a reason
To keep doing
Damage to your health?
No you don’t have to answer me

And do you think you can
Face the faceless man?
Hold his frozen hand?
Then you don’t understand
That the time you spend
Hoping he will mend
All the holes he can
Then, you’re playing pretend

Mother I’m just trying to help you
I’m just trying to pull the both of us through
I’m just trying to do the things
You always told me to do
Didn’t you?

Great track-- hope you check it out as well as the album. I know I will dip in fully when I find the time. .

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/30V1IMVlO7o8vOL6cb2THE

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc5wCcZvP865gRzBVnBzF0g



Gary Air shares:

psych rock song about confronting my mom about her poor relationship choices lol

Gary Air, indie rock, psychedelic rock, 70's classic rock leans, folk rock, confessional, ballad rock, folk rock, southern rock tones, blues rock, self titled album "Gary Air", single track "Faceless Man", Bandcamp, Boston,