If the boundaries of musical storytelling were reserved seats at a concert, Jared Bill and his sophomore album, Mystery Man, would be at the core of the mosh pit, getting knocked around and having the time of their lives.
Released on Valentine’s Day, the curious ten-song collection that is Mystery Man explores and plays with vocal delivery, lyrical parody, sound effects, and more in ways that may frighten some and delight others, making for a bold and multi-dimensional album that feels like listening in on a drunken conversation at some obscure roadside bar.
Mystery Man kicks off with “The Jared Bill, Part 2,” a return to a storyline from the singer’s debut album, Chloe (2023). Even those who haven’t heard the tale’s first half can pick up on the story, which opens the album with the lyrics, “Jared thought he had got away/But someone wrote down his license plate,” setting the tone of casual storytelling and encouraging listeners to fall for the track’s nostalgic yet uptempo and playful edge.
After luring in listeners with the somewhat “normal” opening track, Bill follows with the quirky and sincere story of “Turkey Baby,” a song brought to life by the artist’s deep voice and the uplifting strum of the guitar. This track tells the story of the title character, a baby who was born smelling like cooked turkey, through cheeky lyrics such as, “Just three days old/Smiling in his little onesie/Soakin’ up aromas of roasting meat/When his mother went to kiss his cheek/She got a whiff of rotisserie,” that entertain the brain as much as the ears, making the song both catchy and clever, leaving the listener wondering if it’s acceptable to subtly smell each baby they come across (just in case).
The third track, “The Corduroy Showdown,” offers a more epic tale accompanied more elements of rock, demonstrating Bill’s ability to skillfully play with tempo and genre. Tense and fun, “The Corduroy Showdown” recounts the story of a bar shootout, allowing listeners to live out their cowboy fantasies for two and a half minutes, visiting an edgy but euphoric adrenaline-packed world and checking their jackets for bullet holes after.
Fourth on the album is “Vindaloo,” a track dedicated to the title dish. The song is playful and provides a change in pace, though listeners should be aware of Bill’s Indian accent on the track, which some may find not terribly PC, but appears done innocently enough. “The Man With No Middle Name” takes the fifth slot of Mystery Man, a catchy but haunting track that takes a more subtly mischievous tone, spinning a character who encounters much disaster. “One night while sleeping in his tent/A psychopath approached his bed/To hurt a man his greatest fear/But he shot the loon between the ears,” Bill sings.
The song’s tempo slows down the album as we reach its middle, enhancing the flow of the EP and preparing us for the more quirky and peculiar-sounding tracks to come, such as number eight on the record, “Tabs and Slots.” The short yet punchy name perfectly describes the song, a more rock n’ roll influenced number in which Bill speaks rather than sings, scratching the brain in a way that’s satisfying and entertaining. Bill’s commanding voice takes control of the story, telling it in a cathartic manner that’s sometimes aggressive, and sometimes just plain fun.
The final track on Mystery Man once again slows down the pace of the album, taking the form of the more tender, country inspired “Thompson Speedway.” Bill pours more emotion through his voice as he sings of multigenerational fatherhood, describing how he would manage his son’s eventual boredom with life: “I knew it was time/To show him all of the sights and the smells/So I took him to the speedway.” Bill describes his songs as being highly exaggerated, fictional stories based loosely on events that occurred in his own life. This sentiment remains at the heart of the album, as each track presents elements of fantasy and wild storytelling with heartfelt, recognizable scenarios at its core.
Music lovers who are fond of fun, wild wild west-type storytelling or who are just looking for something amusing and off the beaten path may find a quality distraction and joy in Mystery Man, and should listen with packed bags and no expectations for the journey.
