From Hallmark holidays, to the shallowness of celebrity, to politics, to the happiness of finding your partner in crime, "We Go Through Phases," the sophomore album from Milwaukee's No Kiss For New Years, just about covers the full spectrum of human emotion.
With singer and songwriter Gregory Borden (ex-Menlo) at the helm, No Kiss For New Years has collected contributions from former Menlo members Nathaniel Zuelzke, Thom Geibel and Joe Kirschling to produce a beautifully dreamy, introspective follow-up to its 2004 release "Everything Changes."
"We Go Through Phases" makes its debut on Friday, Feb. 17 at Shank Hall. Borden, who will be performing an acoustic solo set, is opening for Michelle Anthony and Dustworks. Show time is 10 p.m. and the cover is $8.
Carried by Borden's signature soft vocals and textured with synth bleeps and blips, "Phases" feels as pleasant as it does moody, like happy memories ignited by melody and guitar strings.
Album opener "A Little Bit of Yellow" is a sweet serenade dotted with Ben Gibbard-ish "whoa oh"s and a charming narrative that Borden says is about "you and your partner against the world."
"I like to write about things I know and things I feel," says Borden. "I think songs sound more believable when you have a connection to them. I'd say that 75 percent of my songs are autobiographical."
Though just as personal as "Everything Changes," there is a consistent sophistication to "Phases" that Borden exhibits this time around with even more successful electronic experimentation woven gracefully through poetic insight.
His explanation?
"I think I'm a better songwriter now than I was before. But also, I fell in love and got engaged. If that doesn't change your outlook on song writing, nothing will," he says.
"People ask if I'm going to change the name, but why should I? No Kiss For New Years is more of an idea than anything literal. It's a little melancholy and a little dreamy. Robert Smith has been in love and married for years, but he still writes sad songs. I have some bright spots on this album -- some songs that are 'more upbeat' -- but they still have that haunting quality about them that hopefully connects with people. I really don't know how to write songs any other way."
It is, perhaps, this more fully-recognized vision of himself as a songwriter and musician that lends itself to the quality of sound he's able to craft when he's the one steering the ship.
"Menlo was very fun and I made some great friends, but bands are a lot of work, and I like the intimacy I get with this project. I do everything -- record, mix, master, and, of course, the art work."
The cover art for "Phases" is a giant octopus wrestling a satellite in space. "I always have this 'man versus nature' concept, because the human race is so arrogant, always trying to take over the world. So I though it would be interesting to twist this iconic image -- a giant squid and a ship or something -- and push it to where the ocean meets space."
No Kiss For New Years' Web site is nokissfornewyears.com.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
