The debut album from Nashville alt-rockers X-Ennials drops today (Oct. 29) with a two-part, pandemic-themed album, called Senseless American Tragedy. And though leader Anthony Davis once held a political office, he’s proving that “message-music” doesn’t have to be preachy or suck.
Davis served a Nashville City Councilman for eight years and he’s poured everything he’s witnessed from the COVID-19 experience into the album.
“When the pandemic was raging in early to mid-2020, this stuff just started flowing and I started writing lyrics,” says Davis. “Being a public servant for eight years and a political person, of course I took a bent and a narrative that is my truth. . .coupled with the loss and tragedy that most of us were shocked from. I was very much inspired by the actual victims of COVID-19 in America and their personal stories.”
You may be aware of some pandemic-inspired songs like twenty one pilots “Level of Concern,” Bon Jovi’s Jersey-strong “Do What You Can,” or former Heartbreaker Mike Campbell’s “Lockdown.” But more doing the Bo Burnham thing is X-Ennials, with their 10-song Senseless American Tragedy.
Unlike most of the COVID songs referenced above, which cornily telegraph this-song-is-about-the-pandemic, you could honestly listen to the work from the X-Ennials and just hear, well, decent songs. X-Ennials sound like a 90’s rock band, with an acoustic-electric guitar foundation for most of their tracks reminiscent of Tonic, The Verve Pipe, and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.
They’ve divided their album into two parts – “The Horror” and “The Aftermath.” On their website they provide something a lot of audiophiles would just love from their favorite band: a detailed explanation of what every song is about.
“Weightless” is a pleasantly upbeat jam about saying goodbye to a partner as they pass from the virus, and “Orange Man, Strange World” is an angry, less than flattering tune from the view of President Trump. Take a listen to both below and you can dig further into X-ennials music from the Senseless American Tragedy album by checking out the band on YouTube and other streaming outlets.
X-ennials, “Weightless”
X-ennials, “Orange Man, Strange World”
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