Release Date: Jun 25, 2013
Genre(s): Pop/Rock
Record label: Dovecote Records
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Nicknamed by his late grandfather after Flannery O'Connor's 1952 novel of the same name, Wise Blood, born Christopher Laufman, is barely in his twenties, but is already building a reputation as a purveyor of intrigue with his brand of sample-driven pop songs. Over the course of his two EPs, + and These Wings, Laufman blended blues, gospel, rock, electro, and hip-hop, and tied the disparate elements together with his contorting voice. With his debut full-length, Id, Laufman's music continues to brim with lofty ambition, but steps back from the poignancy and raw energy of his prior efforts.
Southern gothic author Flannery O’Connor’s piercing novel Wise Blood tells the story of a recently returned WWII soldier struggling with his faith and attempting to start a “Holy Church of Christ Without Christ”. There’s also a side plot about a gorilla and a mummy, but the whole thing finds wry humor and mystic depth in the odd dusk. Similarly, Id, Christopher Laufman’s new LP as Wise Blood questions traditions, blends lines, and straddles worlds, all with a dark smirk.
Christopher Laufman is the man behind Wise Blood, and two years ago a lot of people were talking about him. Everyone was excited about this new musical project. And then Laufman got himself into some trouble, like the legal kind. Plus, he recorded a full-length that he completely scrapped. In other ….
Do you spend your Fridays being escorted around town by chauffeurs to vacant mansions with bathtubs brimming with champagne? My guess is probably not. Tuning in to mainstream pop radio can feel like overhearing a conversation you’ve been priced out of. I can’t speak for everyone but my intuition is that most of us don’t know what it’s like to take a bite out of a sandwich of dollar bills, but probably have some inkling of what it’s like to have a couple quarters (or “0.01$”) in your jean pocket after a night out on the town.
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