Typsy Panthre – Hell is now available PWYW on bandcamp! Name your price.
The album Hell draws its name from the darkly comic cover image snapped by Typsy Panthre’s John Crozier, of a Shell gas station where the S is absent either due to neglect or vandalism. A handful of songs in the collection create the thematic underpinning for that title. For Typsy Panthre the title Hell blithely mirrors current events, in particular the tenure of the current GOP Administration of the US. The song inhabiting this theme the most straightforwardly is “The Strange Thing” where the world weary singer (Allison LaBonne) addresses America’s current president with vast incredulity.
After opening with three songs that establish a sort of desolate triumvirate the album doesn’t wallow too long. “Hell embodies the world of the title & its opposite. The second half is especially captivating, with darkness giving way to beauty, lush sounds, infectious melodies and lyrics both immediate and layered. You should all go to Hell!” (tweet by @realtofupuppy)
Typsy Panthre started with one song: Paper Winter, singer Allison LaBonne says. It didn’t have lyrics yet. John gave me a demo and seemed surprised that I came up with words for it within a few days.
That first Typsy Panthre song came together easily, at least on my end. I added some unsolicited harmonies because I thought it sounded pretty minimal. I didn’t realize how much John would transform songs after the lead vocal was added. Usually radically. He’s super adventurous in his arrangements. Really different from anything I’d done before musically.