For Who the Bell Tolls For

by Jonathan Rado

Overview

Jonathan Rado's talents are many, but his gift for pastiche has always been especially striking. This was the entire mission statement when Rado was getting his start as one-half of Foxygen, an indie band whose earliest songs were lo-fi collages that felt like turning the radio dial in an alternate reality where the only the best classic rock and '60s pop were on every station. His first solo album, 2013's ramshackle Law & Order, appropriated something new on nearly every track, re-creating psychedelic country one moment and fuzzy chamber pop the next. In the time since, Rado emerged as a sought-after producer, bringing his fine-tuned ear to sessions with Weyes Blood, Father John Misty, and many others, and creating several more volumes of always-different Foxygen output before the band called it quits in 2019. For Who the Bell Tolls For is Rado's first fully solo statement since Law & Order, and this time around he's deep in the Eno zone. The nearly seven-minute title track that starts the album has the same slightly warped pop sensibilities as Eno's "rock" records, building arrangements on circular melodies that somehow manage to be both heavenly and distraught. It's a very specific feeling borrowed directly from Another Green World, but it translated into Rado's production voice with glimmering synths and stacked vocal harmonies. "Farther Away" shifts to a deranged minimal funk similar to the kind Eno helped craft for Bowie's Berlin records. Rado marries various Enoisms to other reference points throughout, landing somewhere between Harry Nilsson, John Cale, and John Lennon on "Easier," a touching tribute to his late production mentor Richard Swift. Rado's singing has improved significantly since his last solo effort. On "Don't Wait Too Long," controlled vocals make the song shine, bringing out more personality in a tune modeled after similar '80s radio pop sounds as those Foxygen mined on their 2019 swan song, Seeing Other People. Help from members of the Lemon Twigs adds a hint of glam here and there, and Rado's songwriting lens widens to include nods to Prince, Rain Dogs-era Tom Waits, and Warren Zevon, all tied together with loose, reverb-appreciative analog production. There's a somber tone just under the surface, rising up pronouncedly on instrumental closer "Yer Funeral," but there's more joy than grief in For Who the Bell Tolls For. It's a guided tour through some of the favorite inspirations of an avid sound collector, easily as enjoyable as Foxygen's best work of a similar nature, but showing more restraint as well as a new willingness on Rado's part to step out from behind the curtain and vulnerably share difficult emotions. ~ Fred Thomas

Product Details

Release Date:	12/15/2023
Label:	Western Vinyl Records
UPC:	0843563164006
Rank:	46184

Tracks

1. For Who the Bell Tolls
2. Don't Wait Too Long
3. Easier
4. Blue Moon
5. Farther Away
6. Walk Away
7. Yer Funeral

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jonathan Rado   Primary Artist
Jackie Cohen   Tambourine,Vocals (Background)
Michael D'Addario   Drums,Vibraphone
Brian D'Addario   Bass,Drums,Piano,Slide Guitar
Sarah Versprille   Vocals (Background)
Dan Hindman   Guitar
Brad Oberhofer   Piano,Tabla,Congas,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Taylor Plenn   Saxophone
Drew Erickson   Brass,Celeste,Marimba,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes
Cary Singer   Bass
Jonathan Swift Behr   Vocals (Background)
Kane Richotte   Drums,Drums (Snare),Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Jackie Cohen   Mixing
Heba Kadry   Mastering
Brad Oberhofer   Associate Producer
Jonathan Rado   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Andrew Sarlo   Engineer,Additional Production
Sean Cook   Engineer
Eo Deines   Artwork
Tristan Rodman   Engineer
Rias Reed   Mixing,Engineer
John Louis Williamson   Artwork