Unca John – Midlife Crisis Vanity Project (2023)
While a midlife crisis oozes vulnerability, insecurity, self-conflict and ultimately self-discovery (we like to think), singer-songwriter Unca John captures it all in a darn swell blast of music. Finding the theme song to not only midlife crises but the world as it is today, he shares opinions on the threat of Artificial Intelligence, fragile democracy, politics and the passing of innocent youth – John Shea tackles life, loss and everything else in his album Midlife Crisis Vanity Project.
In my review of ‘Replaced By Robots’, I mentioned that Unca John “is no Mick Jagger”. Economics professors don’t often have the swag and moves of the iconic singer; however, his swag and groove come out in other ways. The typical professor-type, I would expect nothing less than “kitchen rock” from this unassumed rock star. The thing is, while his students may learn about economics from Dr Shea of Maryland College, his professorship-ness expands to other areas of our lives, and we should all pay attention to his wise words.
Raw and rugged with direct simplicity, the US-based rocker opens Midlife Crisis Vanity Project with his debut single ‘How The Hell?’. Opening with a nostalgic flair of guitars, the album pricks your brain from the first chord. Leaning toward 90s pop-rock, I hear a reminiscence of artists like Weezer and McFly but far rougher. The almost spoken word vocals bring bluntness to his songs as if he were a friend speaking about “how the hell did it get to this point?” over a hot cup of tea.
After questioning the passing of innocence in ‘How The Hell?’, a shift to potentially one of my favourite tracks on the album, ‘Mona Lisa’. Aggressive in a softer rock tone, Unca John vents calling Pablo Picasso an “asshole”, wonders why cartoon rats can’t be gay, and ultimately is unapologetic for his bittersweet comments, conviction of beliefs, and desire to question why the world fights without any real end in sight. A sexy saxophone rounds ‘Mona Lisa’ off seeming to ease the sting of the lyricism but potentially calming any injured souls with an entirely diverse sound.
Before the release of Midlife Crisis Vanity Project, before I discovered ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘Replaced By Robots’ was the firm fan-favourite at The Other Side Reviews. A synth-driven single with forceful guitars and crashing guitars bringing up the rear, Unca John tackles the impending removal of humans by AI. Who needs human input when a robot writes songs, creates music, and even runs hotels with an electronic smile on their digital faces?
As I mentioned, Unca John’s is a blunt conversation over a cup of tea (the tenth cup), and we quickly move to the less arrogant, more vulnerable and fragile side of the coin with ‘Subway’. Reminiscent of old-school jangle-pop, a hint to The Beach Boys and Beatles is not only heard but felt in the vintage track. Elegantly capturing the core pain of broken relationships, Unca John’s raw vocals cut deep and the lift to a higher timbre merely increases the chance of tears.
Unca John elegantly expresses the deep-seated fragility of humans in various tracks; it is ‘Wyoming’ that pushes the socio-political agenda of not a midlife crisis but of pretty much anyone who follows the sham of politics. A sliver of indie-rock with 80s inflexion, ‘Wyoming’ questions the rich not paying taxes to individuals working 16 hours per day – where is the benefit for the average person? If you were not joining him in his rants before, ‘Wyoming’ will have you seeing the light; and the position is pushed in ‘Your Opinion’. Although it might not be a track of comradeship, unless you’re standing beside Unca John looking at the person he is punching (sonically, of course). It leaks of liberal opposition condemning the so-called “great individuals” who look for control, want to save us from their perspective, and are right to their opinion but are just “pricks” in the end.
From angst and defiance, Unca John takes out his old photo album singing of old loves in ‘Honey Girl’. From the despair of ending relationships to blossoming ones, ‘Honey Girl’ adopts a doo-wop style with a strong Motown flavour. I can hear the track being blasted at those vintage dances with Unca John standing centre stage with backing singers swaying like The Temptations.
Retaining the gooey warmth and rich smile of ‘Honey Girl’ with its doo-wop tones, Unca John steps to a more comedic slant of a hopeful relationship with mutual understanding. Reminiscent of 70s power-pop infused with charming drums and a synth-driven melody, Unca John “wants to hug and squeeze on you and eat cheese with you”. The sweetest, most romantic sentiments when faced with lockdowns. I mean he wants to leave his apartment and remove his mask with you – and they say love is dead.
Unfortunately, all good things will come to an end and Midlife Crisis Vanity Project peters out with ‘Lizard Brain’ and ‘Songs In My Head’. Bold with a punchy balance between The Byrds and The Velvet Underground, Unca John slips into his lizard brain casually moving through life in a haze. ‘Songs In My Head’ ultimately round up the conversation with a soothing rock-inspired summary of the crisis. From the hushed vocals to the glorious guitar solo and subdued backing vocals, ‘Songs In My Head’ tugs at heartstrings forcing you to give him a huge hug as the tea party ends.
One aspect I love about Unca John is the distinctive “well, there it is” sound. Penned, composed and performed by Unca John with mixing and mastering from sound engineer Andrew Young, Midlife Crisis Vanity Project has sophistication in its production but also a completely naïve innocence slathered across the release. This is it; this is the midlife crisis in its totality, this is the venting of difficult situations, the luxurious grins of romance, and much more.
Find out more about Unca John via his official website, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
