Arising from Cincinnati, Ohio, indie singer and zany songwriter Lincoln puts out his debut album Everything Is Wrong (I Surrender Records), the follow-up to his 2017 EP A Constant State Of Ohio. Twelve tracks dive deep into his mind and thought processes, each one finds inventive ways to stimulate the listener’s senses with their vivid ambiance.

The opening title track leaves an immediately memorable first impression with its twinkling earworm melody that loops for the whole song, introducing you to the melancholic yet somehow euphoric daze the album will pull you under. The song is meant to feel like a bittersweet fever dream, and the chorus’s clever rhyme scheme that lists things wrong in the world while throwing in a few positive points adheres to that bittersweet theme effectively.

‘Baby Take My Acid’ starts with a chorus-drenched guitar line that contrasts well with the downcast vocal tones of Lincoln and feature Penelope Scott. The two’s energy and delivery sound incredibly in sync with each other, making for some pleasant easy listening until you realize how upfront the lyrics are. From the beginning verse’s “If you’re not doing anything can you still call it trying to get better?” to the conclusive “Eventually everybody ends up where the river meets the sea”, this song is an eye-opening storyteller in a calm and collected disguise.

Many of the tracks take a minimalistic approach, showcasing one at a time the different mediums Lincoln has expertise in using to accompany his voice. Though most of these are under two minutes long, that’s all they need to fulfill their purposes for the album – and no two are the same. ‘Handsy’ is a wistful tune with a single gloomy guitar melody backing Lincoln’s croons,  while ‘Manager’s Special’ is a standard acoustic emo singalong. The others are more on the quirky side – ‘Shotgun’ has some unsettling harmonies that never fail to spook me, and ‘10,000 Normal People’ is a forty-second lofi interlude that makes a cheerful melody sound grim. 

Although those songs succeed in proving that less can be more, the biggest standout on the record is undoubtedly the eccentric mishmash of ‘Everything’ (yes, that is the song title). Nintendo-esque sound effects and a slew of rhythmic artificial horns perplex unsuspecting ears until a guitar solo takes over with subtle computerized voices in the background you may miss on your first listen. It’s a doozy of a ride that will give your brain the disoriented feeling your body has after getting off a roller coaster, along with the desire to go back for more. 

The variance of indie rock and unorthodox elements that can’t quite be categorized is what gives Everything Is Wrong its charm. Its weirdness is oddly comforting; perhaps because it sonically paints emotions that can’t be described through words, though its lyrics are just as relatable. 

Buy the album here:

https://orcd.co/everythingiswrong

8 / 10

COLLEEN KANOWSKY