charlie burg – infinitely tall

This album is baffling. It’s confusing, deluded, unusual but dull—confident but insipid and stodgy. Charlie Burg seeks mastery over everything in his path, from lyrical irony to electric guitar riffs. His gloating is hollowed by the execution, which, save for an anodyne run in the second half, is torturously tangled. There are seemingly multiple breakdowns and choruses in each song, so that, rather than inciting anticipation for a hook, Burg flaunts his sickly vocals and guitar-playing at every opportunity. It’s actually a nice surprise when the horribly ill-judged ‘Dancing Through the Mental Breakdown’ comes on, as evidence of a perverse edge. That’s the highlight: a spiky, protruding, inappropriate tune. 

5/30

A favourite: Chicago (Take it or Leave It)

‘Infinitely Tall’ is out now via FADER.