TJ Howlett has officially ushered in the heavy, introspective season with his new release, “Easy Street”. The Melbourne singer, songwriter, and early-90s grunge veteran bypasses modern polish altogether, choosing instead to steep himself in sultry, slow blues-rock that carries the weight of a smoke-filled room and deep-seated regret.
The title track maps out the murky topography of a rundown dive bar. We are observing melancholic individuals actively chasing temporary solace, seeking an escape from their own minds. It sways on a hypnotic, repetitive groove anchored by a walking bassline. Floating above that gritty rhythm, highly expressive instrumentation takes over. The guitar weeps through classic blues scales, bending and sliding in a way that perfectly mimics crying. Howlett manages to capture an incredibly unsettling emotion here: the terrifying, intoxicating illusion of peace that washes over a person the moment they choose a tragic surrender.
Then the B-side, “Again”, shifts the atmosphere from passive defeat to an exhausting, stubborn endurance. The indie-blues rhythmic pulse transforms into a heavy, deliberate slog. It authentically feels like dragging heavy boots through a wasteland of total isolation. A high-pitched, vocal-like lead melody wails with improvisational flair, bearing the sheer emotional weight of facing endless hardship.
This release immerses you entirely in a raw, quiet struggle. It forces an inward look at human vulnerability without passing a single ounce of judgment. When we continually step back into the same painful cycles, are we displaying a remarkable resilience, or simply being our own worst enemy?
