I love a good concept album. A central theme or storyline tying songs together can make for a really captivating listen. The Neon Skyline tells the story of an experience that many of us might be familiar with: running into your ex at the bar while out with friends.
This is a not a loosely veiled story either. It falls out chronologically through the tracklist, beginning with the protagonist, played by Andy Shauf, arranging with his friends to meet at the Neon Skyline, a neighbour bar they frequently haunt. After arriving he learns that his ex-lover, Judy, is back in town. Memories of the relationship and its breakdown flood over his conscious, interrupted occasionally by Claire’s stories of her kids and Charlie’s inquiries about reincarnation. It’s a tether you might have walked before, trying to remain engaged in conversation with friends while your mind is on someone else. About to head for another spot, they run into Judy. His friends invite her to come along, and our protagonist is put on his heels. Old feelings return, but they aren’t quite requited. It gets awkward at times, with him misinterpreting a touch of a coat for something more and bringing up past memories, only to have it blown off before an invite to dance.
It seems that Judy came back and went to the bar because she wanted to see him, but not because she wanted be with him again. In the haze of booze and bar lighting, crossing paths with an old flame can conjure up intense feelings that make us want what we once had and forget that there was a time when we didn’t want it anymore. Judy has moved on, and as our protagonist sobers up in the closing track, he realizes that he can too.
Shauf’s story-telling is casual but sincere, and full of clever lines you can latch on too. At times you will laugh, at other times you will feel the sting of the awkward interactions. I haven’t even talked about the music because I enjoyed the story so much. The soft rock and its occasional woodwind flourishes keep a playful groove without drowning out the conversation. Perhaps it is the band at the bar playing these songs, with the protagonist creating lyrics in his head to process the night as it happens.
Hopefully I didn’t spoil The Neon Skyline for you, but do give it a listen as it is an early frontrunner for my favourite album of 2020. Listen to it below and purchase it here if you choose to do so.