Earlier this month, the highly anticipated debut album, “No, We Can’t Do That,” by up-and-coming band The Office of RezLyfe was finally dropped on SoundCloud. Lead singer Nathan Fein, accompanied by bassist Lauren Missik, pan-flautist Robin Schreck and trianglist Carly Jones have succeeded in creating a cohesive sound that is truly a stunning and disempowering debut.
The first song and title track on the album, “No, We Can’t Do That,” features a special cameo from Craig Lutz, whose raw, passionate and infuriating vocals careen over cranky instrumentals. With catchy lyrics such as, “We can’t do that, our hands are tied/We have to keep students’ saftey in mind,” listeners become even more despondent about their chances of getting rid of the bedbugs and bats that are a scourge on this campus. This performance in particular sets the tone for the rest of album’s richly textured lyrics.
The track titled “You’ll Have to Pay a Late Fee,” follows Lutz’s melodic performance with a painful-yet-poetic ballad that invokes a deep and ironic sense of despair about one’s bank account through its lush harmonies
“The Form is Online” combines harsh bursts of guitar with transcendent rhythms that reveal the true, and disappointing, extent of the group’s administrative skill.
The final track on the album, “That Deadline Has Passed,” stands out as a song that somehow gets better with each repeated play, even as it makes you reflect on your own inadequacy. This track sums up the introspective complexity of the album as a whole and raises the bar for the entire genre of administrative grunge.
The Office of RezLyfe will be playing their debut album at their album release show. Purchase your tickets online through an online form through RezLyfe’s website.