The Sideshow Tragedy

Capital (Old Soul)

Continuing the honed-down duo trajectory of 2012’s Persona, the Sideshow Tragedy’s fifth LP optimizes for impact. The local guitar/drum combo cuts hard biting blues, but Capital spins its wheels stylistically with little variation across the nine tracks. Jeremy Harrell’s driving beat pushes the songs forward as Nathan Singleton’s guitar remains overall sparse in deference to his low and dark tirade. Yet the packed lyrical barrage railing against the systematic inequality across political, economic, and social spectrums never rises beyond frustrated indictments of a culture on the decline. “Blacked Out Windows” and “Keys to the Kingdom” pummel with a monotone Lou Reed verbal assault, while Singleton’s howls and riffs on the blistering “Two Guns” amp the energy, but Capital largely buries itself under the combined lyrical weight.

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This article appears in July 24 • 2015.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.