New York – Two EPs, one old and one new, from New York’s Crying were brought together for Get Olde / Second Wind (on Run For Cover Records). Band members Elaiza Santos, Ryan Galloway and Nick Corbo continue on their path of chiptune-meets-pop-punk for this cheery release. The album is characterized by the electronic sound chips that guitarist/Gameboy player Galloway intertwines into the mix of standard sounds from the guitar and drum set. There is still space in the songs for cymbals and power chords, but the instruments are largely overridden by a burst of sounds clips that are reminiscent of challenging a gym leader or falling down a pipe into a new level.
Whether or not the pings and chips of the Gameboy whip you into a flood of nostalgia for Pokemon Red, appreciation can still be given for how seamlessly Galloway works the sounds of Super Nintendo in with Elaiza Santos’ singing. Santos, the band’s only vocalist, adds a layer of amusing and highly referential lyrics to the building soundscape. Get Olde / Second Wind is laced with nods to the quirky and miscellaneous pieces of New York life. If you listen closely to her somewhat muddled tones, you can pick out references to everything from halal stands to the Q83.
Each track is a one-to-four minute-long vignette that finds common ground between most NYC natives. The sentiments like “nothing makes the blood boil like a Costco run” and “realizing the M train doesn’t run on the weekends” are feelings most folks, perhaps even other big city dwellers, can relate to. Songs like “Bodega Run” paint an increasingly specific picture. In the goofy, yet somewhat self-explanatory track, our narrator embarks on a bodega run in search of “dank Doritos” and “them jalapeño Cheetos.” Santos pans out again to a larger, more inclusive lens when she searches for decency and belonging in the humorous “Olde World.” To a backdrop of Gameboy and guitar, she explores the predicament of holding the elevator doors for “the homies that live on my floor.” In this and other tracks, she excels at taking everyday situations and turning them into chiptune gold that will surely make you crack a grin.
However, it’s not all jokes about junk food and subway lines; Santos does get serious. She introduces the more introspective side of Crying when she opens “ES” with the line “how does the world perceive me perceiving myself? / all I care to do is sip on beer and chocolate milk.” Whilst still joking around, she opens the floor for a more mature discussion that doesn’t revolve around snacks. The synthetic pings from Galloway create an unexpected environment for a discussion on expectations and archetypes, but they pull it off and make “ES” one of the best songs on the record. “Vacation” is another highlight; with lines like “weak friends — all the ones who hesitate to answer you unless it’s convenient,” the song continues on the articulate and relatable track.
Both songs were recycled from 2013’s Get Olde and re-released (hence, the name Second Wind). As the album title might suggest, much of the material for Get Olde / Second Wind was pulled from their previous releases Get Olde and Return to Olde World: Demos and B-Sides, the latter of which was populated by early demos and their remixes. Along with a good half dozen new songs like “Sick” and “Easy Flight,” the album shows a continuation of their comical stance, but also a solidification in sound. If it’s possible to cultivate a more sophisticated chiptune, Crying has done it. Their newer songs are more refined and utilize the guitar/drums more than the band’s early releases. Corbo’s drumming demands attention in “Batang Killjoy” and “Emblem.” Galloway breaks from the Gameboy during “War of Attrition” for a good ol’ fashioned guitar solo. They manage to rebalance power and priorities amongst the instruments without losing track of the genre. This change gives Get Olde / Second Wind two distinctive sides, but the EPs complement each other perfectly. The full-length marries the two eras of Crying. The album proves that not only are the older songs still good, the new tracks are packed with energy and innovation. Crying can reenergize the old and write the new chiptune.
Crying is in the midst of a U.S. tour that runs through mid-December.
Zoe Marquedant
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