Brooklyn-based band Local Weatherman has new music to share! Titled Right One, the five-track EP follows the band’s breakout album of 2023 — although this time dripping with emo-tinted introspection.
It’s melancholic, remorseful… all the makings of a good ‘sad boy’ saga.
Relationships are tricky, especially when you know you’re the problem. Right One chronicles five phases of ‘stuck’ after a love lost… like journeying through the six stages of grief (minus the whole moving on step) set to a pop rock soundtrack. For fans of Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, and other girlfriend-induced drama groups circa 2005, this EP is for you.
Let’s start with stage one, denial. The EP enters listeners into the stormy world of Local Weatherman — whose sanity is holding on by a “Thread”. Fraught with self-destructive patterns, it’s not frontman Fritz Ortman‘s fault for the relationship coming “undone”; the foundation was shaky from the start. Track two “The Hole” says that — despite trying to “make it through the night” — there’s a void now that she’s gone, leading listeners into the uptempo anger stage. Chord-heavy and full of agression, Ortman claims he doesn’t want to “lose control”, for who knows what depravity that would bring. But then, by track three, the band pulls it back a bit with “Weighing”. Skipping over bargaining and plunging straight into depression, Ortman admits he himself caused the chip on his shoulder.
Guilt is a heavy burden to bear, after all.
“Hoping it’ll all be okay” and that everything will just work itself out in the end might not be the best strategy, though, which leads listeners to “Out Of The Vein”. Begging a past love interest for “just one more week” is clearly a sign we’ve hit the bargaining phase… although acceptance does creep in a little with lyrics like “good things don’t come back”, etc.
The EP ends with the title track, switching up the heavy sound for acoustic guitar and lighter vocal delivery. Well, a tad lighter vocals… Ortman is still trying to make a point. Sure, the relationship was “broken” and “it went south”, but that’s because he wasn’t ready for it in the first place. He “didn’t see” her showing up at that point in his life, a time when his maturity (from what it sounds like) needed a kick in the pants. Ortman accepts his part in the downfall by acknowledging his shortcomings from the start — a sign of personal growth since the breakup. Claiming he wants to be “the right one for you now”, Ortman offers one last olive branch before he’s forced to move on… but that’s a story for next time.
Available now off Karol Records, Right One shows polish and promise for Local Weatherman. Plus, for those who didn’t attend the release parties over the past weekend, there’s another two planned for February in New Jersey and Philly! See below for details and make sure to add tracks off the new EP to your punky playlists; who knows, with Valentine’s Day coming up, you might just need a crash course in finding, cherishing, and keeping the Right One.
Local Weatherman – “The Hole” lyric video
Track listing:
- Thread
- The Hole
- Weighing
- Out of Vein
- Right One
Stream ‘Right One’ EP:
Cover photography by Caroline Safran
Links: INSTAGRAM | SUBSTACK | YOUTUBE | BANDCAMP
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Disclaimer: All views presented in this album review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Top Shelf Music.
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