New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Los Angeles singer/songwriter Lawrence Rothman has announced their sophomore album available on January 29th via KRO Records. An album in two parts, it starts with Good Morning, America, a nine-song LP that includes guest's legendary songwriter, singer and GRAMMY Award winner
Lucinda Williams as well as Marissa Nadler, Mary Lattimore, Girlpool, Pino Palladino, and more (full tracklisting to be announced later).
Not a Son follows and is a nine-track accompaniment to the LP featuring Lawrence's emotive spoken word set to the backdrop of compelling and atmospheric instrumentals played by members of Thundercat's band as Lawrence leads on piano, modular synth, and guitar. Recorded across the US in California, Missouri, and Tennessee, the work confronts America's current climate. Trump's destruction of democracy, the divided nation he's fostered, and the isolation one feels living in such tumultuous and divisive times because of it.
These themes are omnipresent in the first single "Decent Man" ft.
Lucinda Williams where Rothman sings, "The New York Times says the country's gone up for sale" with a Leonard Cohen-esque baritone and melancholy. Wiliams in the chorus singing " Now we're just a lifeless empty midwest mall the aftermath of a hot head playing god" (full lyrics at bottom of the PR).
The video was filmed in VA at an undisclosed location and features deteriorating presidential statues that stand eight feet tall. The statues came from an actual Presidential Park that has since become abandoned. Lawrence explains the backstory of the song:
Right-wing US Politicians are more so than ever using religion and faith to manipulate and control our free will, puling us decades backward on abortion rights and equality. The old guard MUST be dismantled. Choosing to be neutral or apolitical at this very moment is a dire mistake. The lifeline of our country is at stake along with our own personal livelihood. To belabor the obvious the current administration from top to bottom is the furthest from being decent men. My daughter around the time of the
George Floyd killing, asked me one night "are there any decent men left?" Society's ills were ever more present to her as our home became the classroom and her social world of school and friends went on pause. I witnessed this young person transform from being a kid inside the bubble of the pre-teen "daydream" to subscribing to the NY Times and LA Times getting active with social justice online and on the street. She inspired me to sit at my kitchen table and write a record that explored the horrifying current American epoch and how old values and traditions have miss -shaped many of us. "Decent Man" was the first song I wrote and the rest came within two weeks. Lucinda Williams' voice and song have been a constant companion for me during my life's ups and downs. Her albums have been my family's soundtrack during these last 6 months. When I wrote "Decent Man" I saw myself on stage trading verses with Lucinda, and it's a great honor to have her accompany me on this song.
For Rothman, who identifies as gender-fluid, Not a Son takes two meanings exploring alienation of personal identity and the alienation that has been amplified within the zeitgeist of the aforementioned administration. Both Good Morning, America, and Not A Son are produced by Lawrence and their collaborators Yves Rothman (Miya Folick, Yves Tumor, Bannofee) and Justin Raisen (Charli XCX,
Angel Olsen, Sky Ferreira)
Rothman's debut album The Book of Law was released in 2017 to much acclaim and wonder. It explored the artist's struggle with gender identity, family conflict, and social alienation through a collection of
Avant pop confessionals. Rothman performed as 9 different alter ego's, or as they coined them "alters", for each song on the album as an artistic representation of the many different sides of oneself. Inside the music videos and on stage, we saw these "alters" come to life, through prosthetics and makeup with The Guardian UK calling them "the Cindy Sherman" of music. This year, Rothman produced The Turning soundtrack for Dreamworks
Pictures feat Mitski, girl in red, Warpaint, Kali Uchis, Courtney Love, Soccer Mommy, Kim Gordon. They also produced singles for SASAMI and Alison Mosshart. Another project had Rothman acting alongside Shailene Woodley and
Sebastian Stan in the film "Endings, Beginnings."
All streaming: https://orcd.co/lrdecentman
Decent Man By Lawrence Rothman
Verse 1: THEY MASSACRE OUR MOTHERS PRIDE
MASSACRE WHILE WE NUMB OUR MINDS
SHE SAID
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
WE CRAVE THE LIFE BEFORE OUR BROKEN HOME
THERE'S NO ESCAPE THE DAMAGE DONE
SHE SAID
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
THE ATHEIST AND JESUS FREAKS
SING TOGETHER IN A RARE HARMONY
SHE SAID
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MAN LEFT
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
THEY PROPAGATE OUR MENTAL STATE
MAKE BELIEVE WE ARE WHAT WE HATE
SHE SAID
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
Chrous 1: AND THE NEW YORK TIMES SAID THE COUNTRIES GONE UP FOR SALE
FROM THE TRAIL OF TEARS THROUGH THE HOLY GRAIL
THE STAR SPANGLES SUNG IN A MINOR SCALE
WHILE THEM GOOD 'OL BOYS BUILD A WALL AROUND THEIR BIGGEST FAIL
THEIR BIGGEST FAIL
THE FAILING OF THE USA
Verse 2: THEY VIOLATE OUR PRIVATE LIVES
MONETIZE OUR COLLECTIVE MIND
SHE SAID
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
WE FALL IN LOVE JUST TO FALL OUT OF LOVE
TO FALL IN LOVE JUST TO FALL OUT LOVE
SHE SAID
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
THEY LAUGH FROM SPACE AT THE TEENAGE STAR
TECHNOLOGY OUT LIVED US ALL
SHE SAID
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
THE ANTICHRIST'S OUT PLAYING GOD
AND GOD'S ALIVE AND WELL IN A DOG
SHE SAID
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
ARE THERE ANY DECENT MEN LEFT
Chorus 2: NOW WE'RE JUST A LIFELESS EMPTY MIDWEST MALL
THE AFTERMATH OF A HOT HEAD PLAYING GOD
WE DREAMED A LITLLE DREAM INSIDE A DREAM
WHILE PARADISE BET AND LOST IT ALL
THAT HOT HEAD BET AND LOST IT ALL
Bridge: ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GONE
ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GONE
ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GONE
ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GONE
