I didn't really enjoy
T.K. Bollinger.
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Bollinger is a singer of sad songs,
referencing sad-core and Southern Gothic as descriptors. I have spent the week
listening to his 2016 album, Shy Ghosts. This
appears to be a solo effort, when at other times he records with That Sinking
Feeling.
There are times when the
music can be effective. On "Flesh and Bone" I notice that his voice
is good, and the intro to "I Hear Monsters" (from 2014's A Catalog of Woe) reminds me of the guitar tones on
"Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones.
The music is not
terrible. It is almost relentlessly dirge-like, and that isn't for everyone. Shy Ghosts exacerbates this by starting with two
unusually long and plaintive tracks. If you think you are interested in
listening, skipping to track 03 could be a good idea, but the Youtube videos
are probably a better starting point.
I admit that some of my
disappointment comes from expecting something more eerie and supernatural. The
death here feels more like the living who have been left behind in despair, and
now question the value of a life so fleeting. I don't know if that was the
intention, but it's kind of a downer.
I don't think that music
should always be poppy and bouncy either. Ultimately, this simply did not suit
my taste. It could work really well for those interested in the darker edgess
of folk, or those who would like to hear country music go a bit darker and more
Goth.
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