Out digitally today, “Teen of Denial: Joe’s Story” is a freshly reimagined take on Car Seat Headrest breakout, “Teens of Denial,” which celebrates its 10th anniversary. A physical edition will follow on October 16th.
“Sometime last year, it was suggested to me that we do something for the ten-year anniversary of ‘Teens of Denial,’ so I started looking back on the album to see what we might do,” Will Toledo said. “In spite of some of its songs being a regular part of my life for the past decade, it wasn’t a record I’d thought much about as a whole since it came out.
“Most of the songs I’d come up with over a two-year period at the end of my college days, when I was struggling a lot with cynicism and misplaced aggression,” Toledo said. “But by the time the songs were done, I was living in Washington, Car Seat Headrest was a full band with a record label, and in spite of the turmoil of the writing process, the final album was pretty enjoyable for everyone to work on.”
On the original album, Toledo used the name “Joe” as a pseudonym – a sly homage to Daniel Johnston. Revisiting “Teens” in the run-up to its 10th birthday, he said he wanted to give Joe a unique backstory and began tweaking the album to tell that tale.
Car Seat Headrest returned to the studio with “Teens” producer Steve Fisk to update accordingly – tweaking lyrics, revising arrangements, and recording new songs in the “Denial-style,” including “Optimistic Son” and the anthemic “Joe Drives Again.” The result retains the album’s dark edge and youthful cynicism, but allows a bit of hard-won compassion into the mix.
The reissue is the latest entry in Matador Records’ Revisionist History series. Pre-order HERE.
CAR SEAT HEADREST – ‘TEEN OF DENIAL: JOE’S STORY’
Fill in the Blank
Vincent
Destroyed by Hippie Powers
(Joe Gets Kicked Out of School For Using) Drugs With Friends (But Says This Isn’t a Problem)
Optimistic Son
Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales
1937 State Park
Joe Drives Again
Cosmic Hero
The Ravenous House
Connect the Dots (Song of Secretariat)
Joe Goes to School
