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49. Wooden Heart - Listener (2010)

Alternative

One could certainly be forgiven for not liking Listener. Their formula itself is an admission of that; intricately detailed poetry half spoken and half yelled over folk rock guitars and drums. Realistically, Listener is a vehicle for founder and frontman Dan Smith’s truly prodigious songwriting abilities, and no one involved seems to have any delusions about that. The group’s Arkansas roots are woven into their music, whether through Smith’s wonky, but oddly endearing nearly-southern drawl that ebbs and flows as unpredictably as the waves described in the title track of “Wooden Heart”. 

Listener exists somewhere between the well worn paths of standard, singer-fronted bands and instrumental music. There’s an intrinsic rawness to the songs of a man that knows he can’t sing but chooses to express himself through music anyways. And it’s really a disservice to refuse to call Smith a singer, because the way he manipulates his voice is every bit as emotion-laden as any singer’s would be. The devil-may-care flippancy of his delivery and the elaborately constructed imagery of his writing coalesce together to create a uniquely emotional impact. 

Many of the tracks on “Wooden Heart” convey a startlingly wise perspective, which they offer charitably, as heartfelt advice to whoever might be listening. “I’m trying not to confuse being used with giving all I am by being used and giving everything I have, all I am,” he admits on “Building Better Bridges”. That kind of stark honesty and relatability can hit home with just about anyone with a pulse. His spot-on description of loneliness on “Seatbelt Hands” is both incredibly sad and impressive. “They always tell her that they love her, but then they take something from her…” That’s real. 

*image; cover art for the album Wooden Heart by the artist Listener