Stream: Jonathan Something’s “Art So Small You Can Hardly See It”

The first time I heard Jonathan Something his sound piqued my interest and I threw a few of his tunes on a rotating playlist I maintain for new music. I then promptly forgot who he was and every time one of his songs came on I misidentified it as Cass McCombs. This went on for a few months. In retrospect this is both ridiculous (since Something doesn’t really sound that much like McCombs) but also to his credit. McCombs is an excellent songwriter. If someone told me they had confused one of my photographs for Cartier-Bresson’s, for instance, I would be thrilled. 

This is all, of course, completely besides the point. The point being that Jonathan Something is on his own and without comparisons, a gifted and unique songwriter.  Something’s record from last year Art So Small You Can Barely See It, contains a wide array of singularly catchy pop tunes and clever lyricism.  He’s since recorded and released a follow up, Cannibal House Rules, which I haven’t listened to yet (but plan to). Now that I have spent a considerable amount of time with the former (even under false notions) I can heartily recommend it. Of particular note are the drone/pop tune “Unfortunately Blue,” ramshackle rock and roll stomp “Idiot War” and Modern Lovers-esque tongue-in-cheek Biblical account “#1 Dad.”  Really though, they are all pretty good.

Stream/purchase the record below or from Solitaire Recordings. 

— Jon