{"id":6176,"date":"2021-04-19T13:10:06","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T13:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scadradio.org\/?p=6176"},"modified":"2021-04-19T13:10:10","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T13:10:10","slug":"chad-vangaalens-new-release-is-equal-parts-psychedelic-and-philosophical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scadradio.org\/2021\/04\/19\/chad-vangaalens-new-release-is-equal-parts-psychedelic-and-philosophical\/","title":{"rendered":"Chad VanGaalen’s New Release Is Equal Parts Psychedelic and Philosophical"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Chad VanGaalen does it all–not only does he create his music completely on his own, but he also illustrates the artwork for his albums and <\/em>animates his own music videos. He\u2019s one of those rare people where all of his talents all seem to match up, allowing for him to put forth an artistic vision that\u2019s truly all his own. His latest album World\u2019s Most Stressed Out Gardener<\/em> is no exception to this rule.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In keeping with the VanGaalen style, there\u2019s a goofy sense of humor that permeates the entire album. Yet this project also seems to be his most wistful and melancholic record to date. Earlier efforts such as Diaper Island <\/em>lean more into the comedic aspect of his oeuvre, and his previous record, Light Information <\/em>tackled the almost psychedelic overtones and distortion that anxiety brings to the experience that is life. Stressed Out Gardner <\/em>approaches these existential topics at a greater, more detached distance. Some songs, such as \u201cFlute Peace\u201d and \u201cEarth from a Distance\u201d serve as reminders that the world exists at a broader scope than our own internal struggles, bucking against the relationship of the singer-songwriter narrative<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other songs bring us into the tiny inner worlds of characters. \u201cSamurai Sword\u201d pairs humorous, offbeat lyrics with a charmingly homey instrumental and a painstakingly animated music video<\/a>. The specificity of the lyrics paints mental pictures for the listener–the opening lines of the album, \u201cShe wanted the sculpture to represent good living\/ but it\u2019s tempered by emotion and nausea\u201d, depict something that really stretches the imagination. \u201cWhere Is It All Going?\u201d is reminiscent of the Gauguin painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?<\/a><\/em> with its dreamy musings and languidly relaxed melody. There\u2019s a fantastical believability to this exquisitely constructed world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n