Unwoven is Philadelphia-based Charlie Singer’s recent band project. The group features Adam Ackerman (bass/keyboards) and Kayana Guity (vocals) with Singer (vocals/guitars/piano/drums). Their latest release is So I Don’t Forget.
Singer wrote So I Don’t Forget as a personal reminder of his own drug experience. The nine tracks take us on an addict’s journey: resolve, bargaining, copping (or brokering), use, bliss, self-hatred. This is no mid-‘70s, “Comfortably Numb” ode to heroin, but rather an open-eyed look at how he’s impacted his loved ones and the people around him. The lyrics are fittingly grim. The title track explores resolve, including “every dollar I get always goes to more of you / I traded everything for you / I thought that you could save me. The second track (“To you, once more”) moves towards love--“you took me in when no one else would.” Singer then pre-apologizes: “just want to say I’m sorry / For what it’s worth” and then repeatedly asks for forgiveness. Uh-oh. Underpinning this story, the first three tracks have a straight-ahead, modern/indie rock feel. They’re driven by Singer’s guitars and Ackerman’s pulsing bass with Singer’s drums locked in behind. Keyboards and piano offer additional color and ambience, but these are guitar-first songs. The music supports the emotion--we can feel the torment, culminating with the moody, layered guitar build on “For What It’s Worth.” The middle three songs have us out in Philadelphia, copping and using. The instrumental “Market Street” is a piano reflection over street noises. It ends on an ominous note, almost like a tolling church bell. “Conversation” is a dreamy, hazy, acoustic-guitar chat between user and substance: “I am nothing without you / I am everything you were promised … but I couldn’t blame you for being disappointed.” A spooky, coming-down instrumental (“Interlude”) caps the middle section of the set. The bass and drums are back for the end of the set, and the reckoning for Singer. “March Fifteenth” has a nice triplet feel with beautiful backing vocals from Guity. Arpeggiated piano drives “Two Minutes” and leads us into “Pavement.” “Pavement” builds into a nightmare, culminating with Singer and Guity singing, “I can’t go on” as the track abruptly stops. So I Don’t Forget is poignant, showing tough, raw emotion in a well-executed concept album. I hope Singer doesn’t forget, and brings us much more of his music in the future.
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