Red House Painters - Red House Painters [Rollercoaster]

_{1993 | Slowcore}

Where Down Colorful Hill is a solemn and desolate account of Kozelek’s early romantic life underlined by a thick sense of tension, Rollercoaster is the romanticization of these topics. Lyrics-wise the two are extremely similar, but the overall difference is with the sound and feeling of the music.

Although this album is much more romantic, the tension isn’t all lost; it just manifests itself in different ways, namely with the sequencing. The three main songs the track list is centered around - Katy Song, Funhouse, and Mother - all share very similar song structures. They start with a verse or two and slowly build into an incredibly cathartic release of emotion. The feeling of these musical peaks are all slightly different though, despite the song structures being so similar; Katy Song is mournful yet heartfelt, while Funhouse and Mother feel more sparse and devastating (Funhouse sort of acts as a bridge between the two, as Mother is really the moment of peak tension on the album). This lines up with the track listing as well - the album seems to get more and more dismal as it progresses.

While these three tracks act as the main emotional release, they also act as a sort-of "nucleus" for the record itself, determining the genetic makeup of the tracks that surround them. The songs in between feel like individual musical episodes, slowly piecing together a narrative that adds on to the foundation that each "centerpiece" track sets. The meticulous sequencing is the main reason why a 75 minute slowcore album doesn’t feel boring or bloated - it's why tracks like the Mistress piano version and New Jersey don't necessarily feel out of place (because who in their right mind puts a piano version on the main album and somehow makes it fit perfectly??)

I remember first listening to Rollercoaster and being somewhat confused - Katy Song was the only thing I grabbed on to immediately, and I wasn’t sold on it being a “masterpiece” or anything of the sort. It took time, but I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the record as a whole. It’s overly sentimental and heartfelt while being as equally raw and unforgiving. Rollercoaster creates a seamless duality in both feel and emotion while still being subtle enough to not come across as melodramatic or flippant - an absolute masterclass example of songwriting all-around.