The Robot Ate Me
ON VACATION is pastiches of old-time chamber and British music hall sounds, complete with intentional record scratches. While The Kinks in “Arthur” and the Bonzo Dog Band did this better, Ryland Bouchard’s bitter anguish does provide an additional element: the total lack of joy. Grim lyrics of hopelessness, a shaky voice, and doleful music may speak to those who seek solace in death. Sample wisdom: “Why did they make us alive in a world where all we can do is say ‘It’s fucked up’?” –Mark Rose