![]() “What happens when they die?” Shauf begins the record by asking. While at first listen, a love song, Shauf grapples with death and the legacies left behind in its wake. “Wasted On You” doubles as Norm‘s lead single and opening track, a lilting pop introduction with R&B cadences and dreamy textures. ![]() “But the closer you pay attention to the record, the more you’re going to realize that it’s sinister.” “The character of Norm is introduced in a really nice way,” Shauf says of the pleasant songs that precede the album’s centerpiece. He even rewrote all of the album’s original lyrics, recreating the story and enlisting Nicholas Olson as a story editor – it was only after writing the title track that Shauf decided to build a narrative around the character Norm. Shauf recruited Neal Pogue (Tyler, the Creator, Janelle Monae, Outkast), a prodigious shaper of genre-and-time-defying tracks, to mix the album, further building on the gently levitating, synth-laden atmospherics.ĭuring this period, he was captivated by David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, which seemed to validate Shauf’s instinct to mix perspectives and tinker with shadowy narratives. Shauf’s goals were uncomplicated: create something melody-driven rather than chord-driven, and make it modern. The latter was essential to creating the more spacious and tactile sounds he sought. He sequestered himself in his garage studio, self-producing and playing every instrument on Norm, a collection of more conventional songs written predominantly on guitar, piano, and synths. Shauf had planned to be touring around The Neon Skyline, but, like many of us in the early days of the pandemic, he spent a lot of time alone instead. Under the guise of an intoxicating collection of jazz-inflected romantic ballads, his storytelling has become decidedly more oblique, hinting at ominous situations and dark motivations. With Norm, however, Shauf has slyly deconstructed and reshaped the style for which he’s been celebrated, elevating his songwriting with intricate layers and perspectives, challenging himself to find a new direction. Hailed as “a gifted storyteller” (NPR Music) for 2016’s The Party and 2020’s The Neon Skyline, Shauf writes albums that unfold like short fiction, full of colorful characters, fine details, and a rich emotional depth. ![]() It was one of the more impressive feats I’d seen, as it takes skill to silence a crowd of 200 people as an acoustic act Yves Jarvis did this expertly, and with rumors of a record coming this spring, he’s one to definitely keep your eye on.Photo Credit: Angela Lewis Andy Shauf’s announces new album, Norm, via Arts & CraftsĪndy Shauf has announced his new album, Norm, out February 10, 2023, on Arts & Crafts and has shared its lead single/video, “ Wasted On You.” In conjunction, Shauf announces a 2023 Norm Tour, including some of his biggest shows to date. Opening the show was Shauf’s ANTI- labelmate Yves Jarvis, who brought his unique style of acoustic songwriting to an awestruck crowd. His backing band was skilled at bringing those worlds to life, with a heavy emphasis on the Rhodes organ and clarinet transporting listeners to the titular Skyline bar that Shauf’s characters frequent. Whereas at previous dates we’ve seen Shauf was mild-mannered and hardly spoke to the audience, he seemed to be in delighted spirits throughout the night as he reflected on his past times playing Birmingham and frequently drew the audience into his style of world-building lyricism that he’s been handcrafting since his debut. The wait was well worth it beginning his set with “The Neon Skyline” off of 2020’s remarkable album of the same name, the set was a breezy, uplifting journey through his acclaimed discography. As you might recall, we saw her sell out this same room last month, which is evidence of how the world has changed since Shauf was due to come to Birmingham. ![]() This date was notable because it had been on the calendar for over two years - when it was originally announced in the winter of 2019, singer-songwriter Faye Webster was supposed to open the show up. The beloved singer-songwriter Andy Shauf dropped by Birmingham, AL’s Saturn last week as a part of his Wilds world tour supporting his 2021 album of the same name.
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