SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CAR SEAT HEADREST – THE SCHOLARS

CAR SEAT HEADREST
THE SCHOLARS
MATADOR RECORDS

It is always exciting whenever a band decides to do a concept album, whether that be telling a very structured narrative about one or multiple characters or having each song be connected thematically. It is hard work and can be quite difficult to pull off, but it is a wonderful experience for listeners when done right.

Car Seat Headrest has already made a few concept albums in their career and their newest one just might be their best one yet. With their newest album, a rock opera titled The Scholars, Car Seat Headrest takes the listener on a beautifully exciting journey full of adventure, wild twists and turns, fearless creativity, and expansive and eclectic instrumentation. Additionally, each song features several unique characters, with the band often utilizing intriguing voices for each one.

If you love a good long rock opera song, then The Scholars has you covered. “CCF (I’m Gonna Stay With You)” starts with a simple but highly memorable intro and eventually builds and expands into something exciting and inventive. Car Seat Headrest shows just how significant of an impact a great intro can have on the rest of the song here. The exhilarating prog-rock tune “Gethsemane” is equal parts ambitious and catchy. There are multiple distinct sections, lots of imagery, tons of instrumental synth breaks reminiscent of The Who, powerful guitar riffs, and tons of sing-along parts, especially “You can love again if you try again”. With “Reality”, Car Seat Headrest combines David Bowie’s glam and space rock elements with Queen’s arena rock energy and the delicacy of ‘70s soft rock. At several points in the song, the vocals are very Bowie-like, such as the line, “I am driving a car that won’t stop”. “Planet Desperation” is one of Car Seat Headrest’s most epic songs to date and gets increasingly more intricate and layered, with main standouts being Will Toledo singing over top of explosively fuzzy guitars, the gentle, almost meditative piano section, and the fascinating Chanticleer section. It is an electric and lively song that never runs out of gas in its nearly 19-min runtime.

The shorter songs, although not as elaborate, are just as good. The folksy instrumentation and captivating storytelling of “Lady Gay Approximately” is delightful. Meanwhile, “True/False Lover” has tons of great hooks, Toledo’s vocals are brilliant, and it is a short blast of fun energy.

The Scholars is a cinematic exploration of maximalism that will appeal to any fan of rock operas.

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