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Zion

by Theo Hartman

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1.
That’s gotta be the slowest middle finger Ever given in history The kind of thing you'd expect From someone in the industry You rely on reservations Having chewn through your restraints You know better not to be Anybody you ain’t Hey sister, don't let love get you down Don't let love have your number Don't let love know you're around The worthless guards the worthy Hearts lie broken in plain sight They don’t suffer fools here Do you know anywhere that might? You can try to get paid in LA Sell your soul to the company store But when love comes around Change the locks on your door Hey sister, don't let love get you down Don't let love have your number Don't let love know you're around Don't let love you get you down Get you down Get you down Don't let love get you down Get you down Get you down
2.
We left the country on the coast Among a company of ghosts This isn't broke yet but it hurts I couldn't tell you which is worse California's Gone Most of the reasonably sane Don't even live in their own brain I must admit I am impressed Most of them I never would have guessed California's Gone Maybe it wasn't all a waste Maybe we'll get another taste Maybe we've had all we can take There's earthquake weather on the way California's....
3.
Head Check 02:02
4.
Like an H-bomb you're awake And the moment is gone Ain't it strange When your first name gets too long You tie another one on Trade it in Look at me, I am real wild seed taking wing
5.
Palomarin 03:59
6.
Standing in circles here like the stones Bringing it all back home All of the movies you've ever seen Playing on big screen Always just a trip away Independence Day Take a message to autumn, tell him I'm cool Tell him to hang on Waves hit the rocks here, they bury the wounds All of my sons go down One by one they slip away Independence Day I know one thing that never fails So the next time you're out on the rails Driving in circles continents wide Keeping it all in line Some of your faces ain't coming back Maybe you're free at last
7.
Damage 04:18
I bought into the idea I should expect more But I don't remember what I was hoping for I had every opportunity I had all the finest things All I had to do was cover for the King Think of the damage Think of the damage you're doing Give me a minute I can forget it Baby, the damage done The wicked, the wanton, and the wise The kindest assessments come from outside
8.
Never Cry 03:55
It's gonna feel this way for a little while And then it's not gonna feel like anything at all I don't know how we found ourselves here All I know is I'm not leaving without you I never cry But I did You call this the final straw But you gave up long ago I couldn't count the times if I tried I never try But I did It's gonna be a long day You should get your rest You don't get two shots at this
9.
Zion 03:32
10.
Ain't got no chairs Ain't got nowhere to sit Ain't got no chairs Ain't got nowhere to sit But you can come in And lie down for a little bit You got nothing but coffee You got nothing but weed You got nothing but coffee You got nothing but weed It's not the army you asked for But it's the army you need Watch out These angels go from zero to light High on midnight lightning Out looking for a fight Just keep your wings where we can see them And everyone will be alright

about

ABOUT THE ALBUM

Some of my recent releases drew heavily on tracking sessions going back as far as the late 90’s. Zion has a bit of that, but it is more new business than old, and the new is of a different sort: more from the hips, less reliant on guitar, occasionally absent vocals, and in the case of the title track, genre inconsistent.

To that end, Head Check was a single pass of everything. You can tell. I wanted to create something that set a mood without overthinking it and I'm pretty sure I achieved at least one of those.

Forgetting Stone would be three verses of Haiku if I’d kept the chorus, but I didn’t. We recorded the vocals first, together, to a piano in brief bursts between my next door neighbor's late night phone calls. The rest followed.

California’s Gone, Independence Day, and Damage all had their genesis in sessions with the brothers Wike at the Vic Thrill Salon in Williamburg back in its heyday, when Vic still showered with a garden hose.

Don’t Let Love Get You Down was built around its chorus. The verses were assembled hastily in almost cut-up fashion from lyrical shards to meet the record company's deadline. If it sounds like it means something, recall we’re pattern-seeking creatures at heart. The song is really about enjoying its flats.

Palomarin is probably my favorite of the lot. The place is out at the end of this road. It features a cobblestone reef that handles northwest swell angles that close out neighboring beach break. It’s sharky, rocky, and inconveniently located, hence magnificently uncrowded. I checked it out exactly once. The rides did not disappoint but nor did the ambience.

Never Cry was written for my dear friend Jen Morrison. It’s got some cool keys and hand percussion by Richard Stuverud and background vocals by Nicki Gonzales, collaborators from Red Letter Baby and Shawnee Mission Project.

Angel from New Montgomery started as a blues jam with Charlie in March. It could have been a cover of Meet Me in the Morning I suppose, but instead it's an ode to Babylon's nightlife. You never know what you’re gonna get, but you kinda know.

Thanks for checking out the music! Please help spread the word and consider supporting the work thru Bandcamp.

credits

released August 23, 2023

Words and music by Theo Hartman except (10), music by Charlie Crystle, words by Theo Hartman.

Additional engineering by Danny Madorsky.
Individual credits listed by track.
Produced by Theo Hartman.
Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved.

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“Good sounds...powerful lyrics too...no frills, just truth." - Pete Townshend

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