If you haven’t already, go ahead and make a mental note of the names Lou Turner, Trevor Nikrant and Joe Kenkel. Together, the trio compose music as Styrofoam Winos; a sometimes-improvisational, always-engaging outfit that released a phenomenal album last year that spurred many to describe them as “the Yo La Tengo of Nashville.” Generally speaking, when a band has that much chemistry together, their solo efforts may fall short – an understandable result of not leveraging the hive mind. However, when it comes to the independent undertakings of Styrofoam Winos, the solo output is every bit as entrancing as when they work together.
The latest of these solo endeavors is Naturale from Joe Kenkel, a ten-track full length that strikes a delicate balance between detached melancholy and subtle optimism. The lead single for “Sweeping” embodies that balance quite well as Kenkel slowly croons about the piling dust around his home amongst twinkling keyboards and swirling guitars. It could be a lamentation on the emptiness of a breakup, a send-up of the sweet small things we do for a loved one or it could be an observation on the absurdity of human existence. There’s a definitive answer there but the listener is welcome to bring their own baggage.
The accompanying video provides some levity as Kenkel performs in a field with producer Ross Collier (another name of note), Styrofoam Wino bandmates Trevor Nikrant and Lou Turner, a graceful dancer and a homemade robot. The performance doesn’t seem to be asking the view to look for deeper meaning; just enjoy the view.
All told, the performance simply cements the fact that this may be a solo endeavor but everyone from the “Winos” crew is still involved, new friends are on board and that robot isn’t taking things too seriously. “Sweeping” is a great introduction to Kenkel’s sublime vocals and the overall vibe of the record but this should serve as an entry point, not a stopping point. As with everything that the Kenkel-Turner-Nikrant trio creates, the entire body of work is worth your time.