The Chairman Dances is quite a unique band. The Philadelphia band calls their style "bookish indie rock." There are elements of indie rock, elements of pop, and just plain inexplicable elements at times. Sometimes the tracks are straight forward and sometimes they are airy and full of atmosphere. It makes for a quirky and different approach to music that we haven't heard for some time. Their newest album, Child of My Sorrow was recorded and mixed by Daniel Smith (Danielson Famile and Steve Taylor and the Danielson Foil). I honestly can't think of a better person to produce such a strange sounding, yet endearing, record. Any of those familiar with Danielson may be starting to put an image of The Chairman Dances together at this point. Eric Krewson's band is certainly more accessible than anything Danielson released -- and their voices are drastically different -- and features some really nice sounds and melodies.

"No Compass, No Map" is one of the best examples of this. The acoustic guitar plays throughout with piano, but horns are added in along with some other interesting keyboard/synth sounds. There's an odd timing to the music, but it works nicely within the context of the song. Most of the album is very chill sounding with light guitars, keyboards, synths, and other random instrumentations depending on the song. One of the top tracks worth mentioning is without a doubt "First to Leave." The song has this melancholy type of feel both musically and lyrically, but was instantly the track I was drawn to the most while listening.

As the title, Child of My Sorrow, may suggest, the album is about suffering. Krewson describes it as the type of micro-suffering that we carry with us in our everyday lives. In the final song, and title track, Krewson finally mentions Jesus and presents Him as the hope of rescue from our suffering. Krewson pleads, "Jesus be near me; be near me." As the album comes to a rather abrupt halt, after a rather strong build at the end of the song, Krewson exclaims, "When Jesus finally comes for us; I will gladly go. I'd be glad to know there's more to life than pain," as the final truth and hope presented.

The Chairman Dances is definitely a band unlike any you will normally hear in your day to day. If you're interested in the quirkier side of the band, "Acme Parking Garage," "Mascot," and maybe the more atmospheric "Out of the Lion's Den, Into the Lion's Maw" are good places to start. If you're looking for something more indie rock or pop related, try "No Compass, No Map," "A Half Mile From Allenton," or "First to Leave." Child of My Sorrow is an interesting album and one that requires multiple listens to fully digest and appreciate. There isn't really a lot of room for middle ground for this release and it's likely that it will strike you as brilliant, or not resonate with you at all. At this point, I've come over to the side of brilliance. I'd highly recommend two to three open minded listens before you make your own decision. Give this one a listen and enjoy the journey.

- Review date: 2/20/19, written by Michael Weaver of Jesusfreakhideout.com

Record Label: None
Album length: 11 tracks: 42 minutes, 57 seconds
Street Date: September 7, 2018
Buy It: iTunes
Buy It: Amazon Music

1. Acme Parking Garage (3:35)
2. Mascot (3:32)
3. Iridescent (4:01)
4. No Compass, No Map (5:07)
5. A Half-Mile from Allentown (Introduction) (1:11)
6. A Half-Mile from Allentown (5:27)
7. No One Can Hurt You (Like a Friend Can Hurt You) (3:43)
8. Hannah, I Know It Wasn't Always Easy (4:03)
9. Out of the Lion's Den, Into the Lion's Maw (4:16)
10. First to Leave (4:12)
11. Child of My Sorrow (3:50)