![]() Things to tell apart from real content (how)Īnd we went down to town and said a million things are happening ![]() Despite her harsh self-criticisms, Sidney Gish proves that she is an exceptional talent with No Dogs Allowed.And there’s a couple of things to keep in mind Sometimes she even feels like an avatar for the times (“ But I hate class, and I hate work, and doing nothing’s even worse, but I still curse and complain every day” is about as clear a picture you can paint for the average lost 20-something). ![]() She proves herself an original voice that identifies with a specific kind of millennial boredom, and manages to use it to make songs that are inspired. Sidney Gish takes these ideas head on in a way few other artists try. Wasted time is an age old concept, but it’s now a defining theme of our generation. With so much time being wasted comes a lingering guilt that always floats above one’s head - A guilt that you’re not fulfilling your own expectations, not living a life worth living, of watching other people do great things while you haven’t even read a book in over a year. We now have unlimited distractions that constantly surround us Content we are clearly addicted to but refuse to truly admit that we are. Of starting your day dead-set on being productive but quickly slipping back into a sedated internet binge, glossing over pointless content on your computer, and then realizing: “Well shit, that was a day of my life”. No Dogs Allowed proves resonant, however, because it exists in the limbo of modern day boredom. When she forgets to refer back to her own imposter syndrome, doubts and fears, Gish has a pure optimism that is just as potent as. “Persephone” features clever wordplay that uses Gish’s tendency to butcher hard-to-pronounce words as a way to embrace her unconventionality as a whole. “Where the Sidewalk Ends” includes a soaring, layered chorus - the catchiest in an album full catchy choruses - with a childlike delight that proves absolutely infectious. Early cut “Good Magician” imagines a hilarious scenario that ends with the accidental mutilation of the Trix rabbit. To that end, there’s a ton of charm and absurd humor in Sidney Gish’s music as well. She may feel like an outcast in this increasingly strange world, but the upbeat guitars and playful melodies prove she’s never not having fun. And the comic “Imposter Syndrome” finds Gish asking: “Every other day I’m wondering: What’s a human being gotta be like? What’s a way to just be competent?” She constantly picks herself apart, but also clearly sees her strangeness and inability to function in society as her greatest strength. On “I Eat Salads Now”, she quotes clear inspiration Frankie Cosmos when declaring: “ I’m 20, washed up already”. The next line, she even criticizes her own self-criticisms(!), declaring them: “ half-assed self abuse”. On “Mouth Log” the singer confesses that she flourishes when surrounded by tabloid magazines and meme groups, confessing that: “ I’m kinda pissed if this is the real me”. The album heavily orbits around self-doubt, as Gish airs out her imperfections and guilts to her audience. However, No Dogs Allowed spends most of its time picking apart it’s own narrator. But the song’s hook is animated with passion, and Gish’s vocals contain a comforting whimsey (for lack of a better word) that conveys an unmistakable affection and endearing personality. Gish delivers her lyrics with a deadpan that would normally personify cynical, and she easily sounds as such on paper. It’s a relatable, distinctly millennial scene: feeling shitty at a party full of uninteresting people and opting to go home to your own personal haven (bed), instead. On opener “Sin Triangle” (which is preluded with the sample-heavy intro “Bird Tutorial”) Gish sets a telling stage for the rest of the album set at a shitty college party: “ I’m just gonna wait for nausea to set in, I’m peacing out at eleven, the friendly girls are trying to comfort me, as if I’m a depressed chick at a frat party”. It’s a project that’s packed with self-criticisms, hilarious observations and tales that examine the confused navigations of young adulthood. No Dogs Allowed is the second self-released album from Sidney Gish, and it marks an ironic maturity for a singer that skillfully boasts her inability to grow up. She hones a casual intimacy in a way few other artists can manage. She revels in her ordinariness (even if her music proves she is anything but ordinary), laughs at her failed attempts at normalcy, and produces her best content in states of manic uncertainty. The Boston-based singer/songwriter writes songs with a lived-in detail that is all too easy to identify with. As my college career draws to a close, few artists have resonated with me as strongly as Sidney Gish.
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