Local Review: Aaron Abrams – Go Sit Over There

Aaron Abrams
Go Sit Over There
Self-Released
Street: 07.04
Aaron Abrams = Jeffrey Lewis + Neutral Milk Hotel + LCD Soundsystem 

Though it’s been around since the Ramones, the last revival of the pop punk genre that graced our lives (and the internet) was around 2016 and ended somewhat abruptly around 2019, fizzling out almost as fast as it had sparked. Do you remember where you were for those three glorious years? Do you remember how the music made you feel? Bands like Modern Baseball dipped out on us while bands like the The Front Bottoms refused to die, and all of us pop punk diehards were left with a pretty barren landscape. With Aaron Abrams’ debut release, Go Sit Over There, a glimmer of hope appears on the horizon.

Go Sit Over There has all the makings of a pop punk/folk punk/Midwest-whatever-the-fuck-Spotify-is-trying-to-commodify-it-as-now rookie masterpiece—with common themes from self-doubt and insecurities to loving your time just partying with people you love.  Paired alongside the album’s looping instrumentals, and sometimes corny intros, it’s a perfect callback to the aforementioned era of music. That all being said, this album simultaneously feels totally different and excitingly new—something that could spark the next wave of pop punk for Gen “iPad babies” or whatever the fuck they’re called. 

The album starts off strong with the witty acoustic lament about embarrassment, “They’re All Going to Laugh at Me.” Our narrator sings to us, in their best monotonous tone, over a handful of repeated guitar chords, “I know nothing about your character, your knowledge, your manners or your dreams / But I know that when you see me in my drawers, you will be wheezing.” The tone shifts dramatically (though not too melodically) on the following track “Alpha Beta Red” where we get a sincere yet jaunty little tune (think the intro to “Holland, 1945” by Neutral Milk Hotel but as a full length song) about the fear of losing people you’ve always been so close to. Lyrics include “I don’t know I guess I’ve been having these weird thoughts / Do you think when we get there, might we slowly fall apart” and “ Truly, it felt like just a movie / It’s coming of age and shot very strange and all about how friends are supposed to stay.” Now, tell me you wouldn’t see that painted over a shitty watercolor sketch reposted to oblivion on Tumblr. 

Things switch up toward the latter half of the album and feel reminiscent of an early LCD Soundsystem with tracks like “Head Suffering Injury,” “Is It Still Too Late” and “Infinite Loop.” Mantric lyrics repeated over electronic looping patterns swap out the “folky” guitar strumming and thematic lyrics we see prior on the album. The standout during my initial listen? “Have Your Cake,”a play on the lyrics from “My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean” set to a Dan Deacon-esque instrumental with reflective lyrics that hit close to home like, “But these words aren’t something that families are eating from / Not something you’d notice was late / Whatever gets plastered here, I’ll learn to live with / I’m sure in time, it will make a good take.” It’s a classic in the making.

Overall, there’s not one song on this album I can’t listen to. It’s a front to back, back to front, a million times over listen. A listen that reminds me of being an angst-ridden 16-year-old and thinking the only person who could ever understand me was Brian Sella (I know, insert eyeroll here). It makes me feel nostalgic and existential, yet hopeful for all the things yet to come. Aaron Abrams, if you’re reading this, I salute you and thank you for your service. I can’t wait to see what you guys do next. –Yonni Uribe

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