Mike Chiarappa, the drummer for The Stolen, has spent the past year introducing the world to his new solo endeavor: Range Life. Over the past 12 months, he has released 3 music videos and a handful of songs to give his audience a taste of his new mellowed-out sound. Now he has finally dropped his debut LP, when it all gets old, with 12 songs clocking in a little over 32 minutes.
Yes, Chirappa does like that one Pavement song. The name Range Life is an appropriate descriptor for the band’s sound though, which could be used as the soundtrack to any lifestyle that involves chewing on a stalk of wheat. The album is full of rustic and acoustic tones combined with melancholic lyrics focusing on themes of heartbreak, loss, and uncertainty. In other words, the album deals with some real “cowboy blues”.
Photo By Abby Clare
Aside from the intro, the first track is “i don’t wanna be here anymore”. The song describes a first-person point of view from a senior citizen and surprise: they do not want to be here anymore. The bright and danceable indie-folk sound of the track is a complete contrast to the rather depressing (yet inevitable) fate of growing old that lies before every single one of us.
Throughout the album Chiarappa is brutally honest and transparent about the trials and tribulations he goes through. Whether it be heartbreak, like in the songs “2001” and “free soul” or struggles with addiction like in “free soul” the dark subject matter is commonly nestled in between a series of “ooo’s” and slathered with a layer of warm acoustic guitars. If the album were purely instrumental, it would resemble a blend of Courtney Barnett, America, and Pavement; definitely not a sulking tone.
The last time we checked in on Range Life, he had just released a music video for “another day” (read the review for that single here). The song is a standout from the rest on the album because it is the only song that has some light at the end of the tunnel. Instead of getting down on yourself because of your sorrows, “another day” offers an alternative. In true “#$@! the haters” fashion, Chiarappa states that you “gotta do it your own way,” throughout the chorus.
The uplifting message is there for exactly three minutes before Range Life brings us back to harsh realities of life. The songs remain upbeat and music continues to mask the pain behind the lyrics. In a strange way the contrast waters down the sadness for the listener. After a few songs through the album you can’t help but be desensitized to it all. By the time “milk stout” comes on you’ll find yourself tapping your feet to the pounding rhythm as the chorus blares “I can’t live without you!”
Eventually the masquerade is too much for Chiarappa to handle and he lets his guard down. The last two songs are gloomy in nature, both musically and lyrically. The album ends with Range Life repeating “I wish it wasn’t real” behind a lone guitar. It’s definitely an Empire Strikes Back way to end an album, but sometimes life is simply frustrating and sad. There’s no way around it. The only thing we can do is “wake up to another day.”
Follow Range Life on Instagram here.
