Lawnmowher is clearly a different kind of cat. While the selfie
on his bio page is not actually him (someone in a Sailor Moon outfit
wearing a horse's head) he also hasn't called to complain or change it.
And who is this label creating bio photos right out of a Loiter Squad
sketch? They're called Hey WTF. It doesn't appear that anybody on this imprint wants
to be associated with doing the same old shit, and their name
informs you right up front to expect the odd and bizarre. It's a
throwback to the 1990's for me, when indie labels had names like
Fondle 'Em and Solesides, and you could expect dopeness each
time they dropped something new.
I don't know Hey WTF well enough yet to say they'll get that kind
of reputation, but "novembre amour" is a promising start. Lawnmowher
is an instrumentalist, not an emcee, so "novembre amour" is what
is more and more frequently called a "beat tape" these days. Unlike
many producers putting out beat tapes though, Lawnmowher decided to
(A.) release a single off his album and (B.) create a music video
for it. "whispermeurname" is an odd collage of images - a girl
dancing with a cow, people splashing water on their face overlaid
by computer generates lines, rising flames, and disembodied heads.
The video clips do change along with the beat though, so it's hard
to deny the hypnotic effect it ultimately generates.
Half of Lawnmowher's tracks are under 180 seconds long, and
half are over it. That just proves his flexibility - he can
make a quick point or draw it out and suck you in. The short
songs like "Heaven With U" (featuring Raul Flores) are just
as intriguing and mysterio. Here it's like somebody decided
to make hip-hop with wind chimes and a scratchy turntable.
I can't imagine anybody rapping over it - and wouldn't want
anybody to either. This kind of music is best served by itself.
Longer efforts like "heygrl" and the title track are just as
pleasing, and all purposefully in lowercase. That typography
choice always leads me to believe an artist is being humble,
but Lawnmowher doesn't lowercase his name and definitely
shouldn't. Even though the tracks can be consumed individually,
"novembre amour" does have an overarching theme - a secret
romance which the composer was either inspired by or pines for
(perhaps both). "repetitive kiss" suggests it was enjoyable,
while "love me babeh" and "heygrl" seem more despairing -
musically saying "don't forget me" or "pay attention to me."
Fleeting affairs can be painful like that - one partner often
not aware of the strong feelings of the other and uncomfortable
when the subject of commitment comes up. Rejection can bring
great pain, but great pain can also lead to great art. I
sense that potential and promise from Lawnmowher, but I hope
his next love won't pull a Wyclef and be gone 'til "novembre."
Music Vibes: 7.5 of 10
Lyric Vibes: n/a of 10TOTAL Vibes: 7.5 of 10
![[novembre amour]](../coverart/lawnmowher.jpg)
Lawnmowher is clearly a different kind of cat. While the selfie
on his bio page is not actually him (someone in a Sailor Moon outfit
wearing a horse's head) he also hasn't called to complain or change it.
And who is this label creating bio photos right out of a Loiter Squad
sketch? They're called Hey WTF. It doesn't appear that anybody on this imprint wants
to be associated with doing the same old shit, and their name
informs you right up front to expect the odd and bizarre. It's a
throwback to the 1990's for me, when indie labels had names like
Fondle 'Em and Solesides, and you could expect dopeness each
time they dropped something new.