Naked Era, the new album by Central Illinois songwriter Chaepter, sees the indie experimentalist basking in the midnight moonglow; attempting to capture all of its mystery and majesty. Lacing old-school black lipstick goth rock with new school bedroom shoegaze to paint a vivid navy-blue darkness, Naked Era is Chaepter’s most fully realized project to date. While 2022’s Kicking The Cat and 2023’s The Moon Is An Emotional Island announced him as a unique and deeply earnest songwriter, Naked Era sees Chaepter evolve from writing songs to building an entire environment; populating it with 10 multidimensional yet cohesive tracks.
The album opener, “Post Touch,” features deceptively direct garage-rock guitar and percussion, cleverly accentuated by the trembling post-punk sensibility of the vocals. This track serves to introduce the listener to the cold, rainy palette of the album without fully revealing the sonic depths it will later reach. Very effective lead single material (and it was), but the first major proclamation of the album comes one track later, with the six-minute statement piece “New Era.” Featuring multiple morosely catchy guitar licks and a keen sense of build-up and climax, “New Era” brings jet-black psychedelia in heavy measure, veering into space and noise rock territory before coming to a winding close. Lyrically, the track employs stark imagery to communicate an ever-present anxiety “Everything’s fine, just don’t look.”
This lyrical theme of paranoia is continued rather transparently on the comparatively peaceful “Something About People,” which features Chaepter lamenting our present dystopia: “Don’t drink the water it’s poison, don’t breath the air it’ll hurt your brain.” The chorus, however, aims to find a silver lining in community; “There's something about people that keeps me coming back.” As the second single from the record, “Something About People,” highlights both the bleakness and tenderness the album has to offer.
The three tracks following “Something About People,” each bring to the forefront a tonally different interpretation of the overall atmosphere being crafted on Naked Era. The additional string accompaniment (cello, I believe) of “Spit On The Curse,” brings worth-its-weight melodrama to the plucky, dissonant guitar and elastic vocal performance (which is at once both ghostly and concrete). “The Noise,” showcases Chaepter’s jump-around-in-the-basement indie rock chops, while keeping the submerged, echoing sonics of the record int act. “I Feel It All Too,” boasts an excellent intro, a moment of stabbing, holographic brightness standing out from the otherwise murky tones of the record. This track also features a fair amount of well-earned Robert Smith worship in the lyrics and their delivery including grandiosely sung romantic melancholia such as “Does it count if it doesn’t hurt?” and “Marry me here in the lights/buried beneath the sky."
“Nobody’s Cool Anymore,” finds Chaepter pulling together different generations of alternative rock influence, marrying a guitar part reminiscent of Thurston Moore with a melodic vocal delivery infused with just a bit of Gerard Way-esque theatricality. The vocal refrain of “You bury the shame” paired with the aggressively muddled and modulated guitar provides for one of the most satisfying and riveting conclusions on the record.
The acoustic guitar-centric ballad “Don’t Tell Me How To Love,” is a moment for reflection bringing shimmering, swimming synths to the forefront. It provides a respite of sonic bliss despite the quietly confrontational lyrics. This textured, synth-forward softness is continued on the serene, climactic lullaby-like “Kingdom Come, Kingdom Come.”
Chaepter saves some of his cleanest guitar work for last, as closing track “Homebodies,” allows the math rock and Midwest-emo influences indicative of Chapter’s central Illinois upbringing to peek through the foggy haze. Like the completion of a deep breath, the final notes of Naked Era ring out in relief. A cathartic, emotive, and deeply stylish record, Naked Era tours the goth music diaspora with purpose and heart. Situated somewhere between The Cure, Slowdive, and The Murder City Devils, Chaepter uses the tools of the trade (reverb, chorus, overdrive) to craft a faithful yet forward-thinking image of one of alternative rock’s most misrepresented subgenres.
You can check out Chaepter's Naked Era on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music. Chaepter will be having an album releae show on 3/22 at Schubas. He'll be joined by Fruitleather and Gerfety. Tickets are $13.
Did you enjoy this post and our coverage of Chicago’s arts scene and sometimes beyond? Please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation by PayPal. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!
