The album opens with “I Am Not A Mountain,” which begins gently, drawing us in with its acoustic folk vibe, the focus being on the vocals, the lyrics. Check out these excellent lines: “I dreamed I was a hero/Fulfilling every task/Steadfast with an answer for/Everything you asked/And slaying all your daytime dragons/And spitfire syntax cluttering your mind.” Then the song suddenly swells, particularly the vocal work, coming as a surprise, and it is at that moment that this artist has me completely rapt. “But I am not a hero/And this is not a dream/And I can’t find the words to say/Exactly what I mean.” Ah, yes, I think we’re all in touch with that feeling. This is a beautiful song. Chris Cordoba plays guitar on this track, and Chris Wyles is on drums. That’s followed by “Ain’t Gonna Hurt,” with Oli Hallifan on guitar, and Alex Thomas on drums. There is a bit of a Beatles vibe as this one begins. This track features a passionate vocal delivery. He does not hold back, and doesn’t feel a need to make it pretty. This one has more of a raw power in the vocal performance, and that electric guitar matches that power, creating a completely captivating track. “And it feels like hello, but it’s really goodbye/No, I ain’t gonna hurt no one no more.”
There is a goofy bit of banter at the beginning of “Something For Nothing” (which is listed as “Somethin 4 Nuthin” on the CD case). This rock song is about the changing music industry, and how people expect to get music for free now online. It contains a reference to “Subterranean Homesick Blues” in these lines: “Everybody wants something for nothing/Everybody wants something for free/God knows when, but you’ve been doing it again/Like a download devil with a social disease.” There is also a good lead by Oli Hannifan on electric guitar. It is a cool, raw track. That’s followed by “Stand By Your Fool,” in which Max Vanderwolf sings, “Forgive them/For they know not what they do/And the others/Know it, yet still do it too/So remember to stand by your fool.” There is a wonderfully sweet and vulnerable aspect to this song and to the vocal performance, which pulls us in. Chris Cordoba is on guitar, and Chris Wyles is on drums.
“If This Is Love (Please Make It Stop)” has one of my favorite song titles of this album, and for that reason, it is one of the tracks that initially drew my attention to this release. Well, it turns out to be one of the album’s best songs. From that initial growl and that guitar work, to its simple and catchy rhythm, everything about this track works so well. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I wait and I pray for this anguish to stop/If this is love, please make it stop/My heart’s like a blister that needs to be popped/If this is love, please make it stop.” Oli Hannifan is on guitar, and Kevin Petillo is on drums. But oh, where would be without love? None of this craziness would be worth it if not for love. Then “NYC” basically announces itself as a delightful song with that playful sound. Even though this song is rather serious, tackling the subject of how cities lose their character through development, for some reason I really want to see The Muppets sing this one. Can someone please make that happen? “The streets that gave us stories/Now tell the tale of greed/And avenues that sang the blues/Are silent in defeat/Take another piece of me, NYC.” “The Existential Terrier” is the other song title that drew me to this disc. This is a strange one. It feels like a 1970s rock song, but told from the perspective of a dog who is searching for purpose and meaning. “Live forever and live today/The spectacle has begun/Live tomorrow and you will say/We are here, we are one.” (On a related note, when I had a band in Oregon, I wrote a song called “The Existential Twist,” its only lines being, “There is no meaning/But, yes, you do exist/Everybody do the existential twist.”)
“Walking Away” begins in a contemplative and melancholy place, and has an exciting and unexpected power as it grows. “Worlds we once knew/You are walking away/Tossed like a hand grenade/From the cold hand of deceit/Wars call to you/You are walking away.” There is something rather beautiful about this song, and it ends up being one of the disc’s highlights. Oli Hannifan plays guitar on this track, and Alex Thomas is on drums. That’s followed by “Glisten,” another interesting track. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “And we’ll glisten through the darkness/For the ones that lost their way/Now the path is clear, the time is near/The light shines from our eyes.” Then “Aftermath” begins in a darker place, and features some nice work on strings. “Shoot me down with your electric truth tonight/In the cold morning air it may seem all right/Shoot me down with your electric truth tonight/While the wicked of the world unleash their spite.” There is then a brief pause before the song takes on a bit more urgency, more intensity. I love the strings on this track. There is also some good work on guitar toward the end. Chris Cordoba plays guitar on this track. And as the track approaches its climax, there is some wonderful backing vocal work. This is another highlight.
“Headway” creates an interesting atmosphere at the start, then allows things to build from there. This is another fantastic track featuring a strong vocal performance. “Just as the past dissolves away/The present fast is yesterday/The future calls and so we go/We stagger forth with all we know/Got to learn to live this life before I love again/Before I love again, before I love again.” This track also features a cool bass line, but the jam at the end might be the best part of this one. Kevin Petillo plays drums on this track. The album the concludes with “Somebody’s Love Song.” This one has something of a classic sound, like some crazy gem from the past that is now finally getting some new attention. “Know in the end/I never meant to hurt you/And if you beat me to pulp/Stomp me to bits/Loving me the way you do/I still keep a flame, my love/Just for you.”
CD Track List
- I Am Not A Mountain
- Ain’t Gonna Hurt
- Something For Nothing
- Stand By Your Fool
- If This Is Love (Please Make It Stop)
- NYC
- The Existential Terrier
- Walking Away
- Glisten
- Aftermath
- Headway
- Somebody’s Love Song
12 Little Killers was released on July 20, 2022. Though my copy is a promotional CD, this release is on available on vinyl, and as a digital download.
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