By: Rob Perez –
Groovy Avocado Disco may be in the running for most unusual release of 2022. It’s a concept album and not the first album we hear through songs how an artist battled through mental fatigue, depression, and inner demons. Pink Floyd’s The Wall comes to mind; The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds does too. What Groovy Avocado Disco (an acronym for General Anxiety Disorder) does is incorporate short therapy sessions as part of the concept, between several tracks that features Unfortunately Steven and his therapist who tries to make a breakthrough with Steven as they go over what’s inside his head. Seven of these therapy sessions—lasting over a minute on average—give you an idea of Steven’s life the past several years and each session is like an intro to the next track. It’s an interesting idea, but kind of slows the pace of the album. One moment you’re enjoying a track then suddenly we hear two people working out a problem which, if you can’t relate because you’ve never come close to experiencing what Steven has gone through in his life, can seem like filler material. We came to listen to music, but it’s through sessions like these that Steven gave birth to what we’re listening to.
The first track “Entrance” has a modern-day disco-esque groove, like something you’d hear coming out of a Jamiroquai single. It’s very party-ish, and puts you in a good mood, but it lasts less than a minute before it segues into “Me In My Mind”, a playful, vaudeville-sounding number in which Steven describes how he feels about life, people, and how he got through with the help of therapy. “People drive me mad. Their judgment makes me sad. I try so hard, it’s not enough to please mankind. It’s not real, it’s just me in my mind.” And this is what the album essentially is; Steven discussing his battles with depression and describing how he sees the world. At times he has a negative, pessimistic outlook, but over time as we listen to him discuss these demons with his therapist, he seems to be more at peace yet he’s still far from “cured”. Almost like there needs to be a warning of “to be continued”.
The third track, “People Are Stupid” sounds almost like The Door’s “People Are Strange”, but Steven spends the entire time putting down humanity. I can go on social media and read the exact same thing Steven says without the music. “I’m waiting for the world to do me in. I lost my faith in humans, where do I begin. They’re lazy and they don’t want to change.” The chorus “People are stupid and I’ve lost hope. Love is gone and life’s a joke. Take some drugs, it’ll ease the pain, so that dose will get you off this train called life” makes you almost want to call 911 to have a wellness check on Steven. Yet the rest of the song he goes on with his bitter tirade about people, but offers no solution. Just more of the same complaints we hear from anonymous folks on the Internet. “But maybe we can try peace and love.” That’s the solution? This track will just incite people to be angrier or turned off. Not sure if that’s the intended result. At least “People Are Strange” wasn’t actually putting down anyone.
“Life Is Too Expensive” is something that we can all agree on, and Steven is just echoing what we all feel who live paycheck to paycheck. Especially in these high inflation times, this song can be an anthem of the times and Steven perfectly captures it here. “Cosmic Connection” doesn’t break new ground musically; however, as an indie love ballad it’s as good as anything being played on college radio. This is definitely the type of song that would appear on the B-side of a 45 vinyl record that ends up being a bigger hit than the actual single. “The Art Of Failure” actually has an upbeat sound despite its deeper meaning. Perhaps the musical high spirits were a clever way to hide the pain Steven is expressing. Still, it’s got a party atmosphere vibe which, if we’re being honest, is what people will gravitate more towards than the lyrics. “Strawberries and Rain” is a fast, rock and roll-infused number that includes impressive guitar licks, thunderous drumming, and piano, while Steven describes a euphoric acid trip, if there is such a thing. When you listen to the track, it makes you think it’s possible.
I wasn’t a fan of “Tom Hanks”, in which Steven describes in his lyrics how he wishes Tom Hanks was his father, but if you go deeper, it’s really about his dysfunctional relationship with his own father. In the therapy session just before the track Steven goes into detail on issues he’s had with his father. I simply couldn’t relate to that, and as for the song Steven is just wailing, almost as if he’s holding back tears as he’s singing. The music is superb, with excellent orchestration and there’s hints of Pink Floyd’s “Great Gig In The Sky” from Dark Side Of the Moon incorporated on the track. The lyrics just make the song sound like a novelty single. Yes, Steven does describe in some detail problems he’s had with his father in the past, but people will hear the many Tom Hanks references and films and, if they’re unaware of the album’s concept or the deeper meaning of the track, will just think the same thing. I know the meaning, but it still just screams novelty single. Maybe it was Steven’s way of adding dark humor to his situation, but it just doesn’t work too well.
“Exit” is just Steven and his therapist agreeing to see each other again, so it ends on a good note. It’s brave to show others your vulnerability and I give Steven credit for getting naked and spilling his guts for all the world to see. Groovy Avocado Disco is an album many going through depression will be drawn to and it’s something for Steven to be proud of if he can make several people seek help through his music. There are more positives than negatives on this album and we hope there’s a next album with more of a focus on how Steven overcame his issues. Like I said before, “to be continued.”
Three Beers
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/unfortunately-steven/1613802223
