Given Jeffrey Bützer’s consistent output of solo material, his more recent work with the Compartmentalizationalists, and his steady array of specialty shows (everything from his yearly A Charlie Brown Christmas performances with T.T. Mahony, to the Ant Lodge Variety Show, to his one-off shows celebrating the music of Leonard Cohen, David Lynch, and others), it’s hard to believe that Bützer’s longtime band, Bicycle Eaters, has not released any new material since 2011’s Hiding Plastic Spiders. Unveiled in December of that year, the five-song record was marked by the songwriter’s adventurous style, with instrumental songs that felt sad yet whimsical, immediate yet transportive.

In contrast, the two tracks we are excited to premiere for you today showcase a more balanced and streamlined approach more indebted to traditional structures. That’s not to say that the group has grown any less imaginative, but only perhaps that since incorporating vocalist Cassi Costoulas into the group, Bicycle Eaters have become a band more reliant on melody and organization than on freewheeling eclecticism and speculative detours. Both “Wasted Ones” and “House Made of Cake” appear steeped in melancholy and warm ambience, riding a gentle wave of instrumentation that alludes to French pop, Spaghetti Western, and other esoteric sounds without succumbing to their potential for over-dramatization. Overall, it’s a sterling effort, delivered with the sort of refined grace that speaks well to the band’s new dynamics and mode of composition.

“The last full band recording we made was a year before singer Cassi Costoulas joined the group,” Bützer offers. “That EP was the death of our oom-pah/street band accordion era. This is a true blue band release. In fact, my presence on the record is very minimal. The first single was authored by Cassi and it’s my favorite track on the album. This new record also marks the first time lyrics I wrote have been sung on a recording.”

Listen below.

More Info
Web: jeffreybutzer.com
Bandcamp: jeffreybutzer.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @jeffrey.butzer