Album Review: Addie Pray - Screentime
By Carly Preston, Contributor
[Father/Daughter; 2015]
Rating: 3/5
Key Tracks: “Email”, “ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯,” “Hi How Are You”
Screentime is the third album release from Kenyon College alum Carmen Perry, a.k.a Addie Pray. Addie Pray is a solo project for Perry, aside from her other two bands SPORTS and Littless. With the recent success of SPORTS’s All of Something, which was released in October, many have long awaited what Perry would do next.
Screentime is Perry’s first full album written since her graduation from Kenyon in the spring and transition into post-grad life. At first glance this album is a brief, bittersweet glimpse into life in a new place with new people. Every track is short and simple, with the full album not even reaching 30 minutes in runtime. The guitars are soft, the lyrics heavy-hearted and the vocals twang in ways that could be likened to a punk Joan Baez. Truthfully, this is cuddling music. The entire album is very charming and stripped down; it would be perfect to play in the background during days of laying in bed and holding someone else--or just an extra pillow.
The opening track “Email” immediately sets the tone for Screentime. The track consists of light, dueling guitars and effortlessly clever, yet rich lyrics about leaving those you love. The line “If it’s depression or your smile / I guess I’ll take ya either way” speaks to the post-grad tone this album exudes. Other notable tracks include “Stay Inside,” and the more upbeat and dance-able “Hi How Are You.”
Despite the beauty of how much Addie Pray embraces their simple and harmonious sound, some of these tracks do drag on. This is quite a statement considering no track off Screentime ever surpasses four minutes in time. Songs like “Scab” and “Hail Mary” tend to sound like throw away songs copying the success of others. The song “Heartburn,” while good, seems out of place due to its heavy drums and is ulimately very reminiscent of Best Coast.
The album ends with “ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .” Although this song seems extremely out of place with its sudden synth beats and random overlay of the lyrics to Smash Mouth’s “All Star,” it manages to be one of the standout tracks on the record. The decision to end such a raw album with this track adds a lighthearted element that one could view as foreshadowing as to what the next Addie Pray album could offer. If this is true, the next album may have even more to deliver than Screentime.
