The Fluid Ounce, by Jack Shriner

The Fluid Ounce

by Jack Shriner

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1.	Smiling at the Coast 03:27	lyrics	buy track
Glory be to the rising son of opportunity’s ghost You look both ways when you cross the disadvantaged And the destitute Wave upon wave of advantage You never planned it You just showed up smiling at the coast You’re coasting along at the cost of real people’s lives Alone at the most About your lost relationships you keep reposting And you’re trying different clothes You try to shed a tear and tremble But you only feel what you know So you canvass hard for felicitations At the click of a ghost Is this what you want? Is this what you need? Let the gentle waters lap me up Let the healing begin Let bygones be bygones Let the funeral parlor know Which hole you want to bury me in Now I think I’ve made it I’m chewing consecrated wafers Lifted to a higher post
2.	E. Minor 03:16	lyrics	buy track
You said, “I have to get alone. I won’t be pathetic!” Struck by an impression from Seurat Basking in the sunlight Basking in the sunlight! Ooh, emancipated minor The hoops you had to jump through were just criminal Click to attention You must show the world you’re not untenable Untenable Ooh, razor blades Your sister had to hide them from your easy view Bills to pay You stack them up like donuts on the countertop Now the moon is spinning faster Like loose change at the laundromat How did you make me feel like that? Ooh emancipated minor Your future is original
3.	January Dream 03:34	lyrics	buy track
Moving fast from the underbelt Forming teeth and substance Far below the equator’s crust blindly You take the paces Ooh, it’s so inviting How you countermand Negating my former versions Resetting the clocks again Felt the thump Heard the caterwaul Gentlemen take your places Ooh, it’s so inviting How you countermand Negating my former versions Resetting the clocks again Ooh it’s so inviting The way you countermand Resetting the clocks once more
4.	Slow Shadow 03:27	lyrics	buy track
I forgot the sunset Fell in a trance Last glow of the day Dragged itself across the carpet Voices from so far away In unison, in harmony Deep from the stereo Singing “Dripping down the alleyways” Inside a slow shadow Voices from the room next door, wash over From the darkened streets below, wash over Ooh, slow shadow If only I could stay alone Twin bed in a yellow room Always I will be there A dream awake Inside a slow shadow Ooh, slow shadow (voices from the room next door) Ooh, slow shadow (from the darkened streets below)

about

Shown above are sample tracks. Full album download includes the following tracks:

1) Smiling at the Coast
2) Lee Side
3) Inward the Course
4) E. Minor
5) No Hard Lines
6) Ways and Means
7) January Dream
8) Slow Shadow
9) Bones of St. Joan
10) Dr. Pepper Spilt on Grass
11) Widow/Obit
12) Blanks and Spaces

Like a black widow spider wrapped in a warm, fluffy blanket, Jack Shriner’s The Fluid Ounce is a dreamy pop album with a deep, dark interior. The Seattle-based singer-songwriter draws inspiration from his career as a mental health therapist, giving his songs the same dark edge as fellow indie acts Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins, Elliott Smith, and the Decemberists.

“Smiling at the Coast” is a refined, vocal driven, indie-rock tune. With a bouncing bass line and punchy percussion it is easy to imagine yourself grinning at the ocean while listening. “Lee Side” takes on a folk rock feel. The song opens with a jazzy acoustic guitar and builds steadily with the addition of bass and drums and grungy electric guitar. The song easily could have made the Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack.

“Inward the Course” continues the folk rock vibe with the addition of some new eerie sounds. It takes on an almost Elton John-sounding chord progression, while “E. Minor” is a song that sounds like it was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. With an upbeat tempo and a catchy bell riff, it is a deceptively cheerful song about someone who experienced childhood abuse.

Later in the record, “No Hard Lines” brings us off-rhythm vocals and harmonies set to a slow tempo, subtle bass, determined acoustic guitar, and even some strings thrown in. “Ways and Means” quickly turns experimental and Tame Impala like. The melody and structure of the song are similar to the style of the Decemberists’ Hazards of Love album. The sound of “January Dream” can be compared to Vampire Weekend and Broken Bells, and is my personal favorite song off the album. I hope to hear more of this beach-pop sound Shriner executes so well on future endeavors.

The rest of the album continues around twists and turns of folk rock, dream pop and indie rock, with each song flowing seamlessly into the next while keeping the listener on their figurative toes. While it takes on an urban feel, the album is an excellent soundtrack for your next trip over to Forks, Washington.

-- Sarah DiMuzio, Northwest Music Scene

credits

released February 19, 2016

Words and music by Jack Shriner (Parabox Songs, ASCAP)

Jack Shriner / vocals, guitar, synth, bass, percussion, and effects
Andrew Angell / drums and percussion

Mitso Floor / viola on tracks 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12
Laurel Hoffman / harmony vocal on track 5
Rebekka Goldsmith / harmony vocal on track 8
Abe Shriner / synthesizer on track 8
Barry Walker / pedal steel guitar on track 10
The Bach Street Boyz / string quartet ambience on track 10
Jon Fickes / guitar solo on track 11

Tracked and mixed by Jack Shriner at home
Mastered by Ed Brooks at RFI
Album images by Erik Simkins

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about

Jack Shriner Seattle, Washington

"Like a black widow spider wrapped in a warm, fluffy blanket... dreamy pop with a deep, dark interior." - Northwest Music Scene

"A smart, creative force, a singer/songwriter who explores traditional and non-traditional subjects for genre but with a sonic scope that expands beyond conventional expectation." - ARTISTdirect ... more

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