When Bob Dylan electrified his folk by plugging in his guitars in the ’60s, his fans booed.
Plugging in folk songs, of course, is no longer revolutionary, but San Francisco-based artist Nyles Lannon makes his folk electric in a different way, leaving the finger-picked acoustic guitars unplugged but adding electronic programming to the mix.
But now, in a move that would have made Dylan’s traditionalists of old proud, Lannon challenges his established “folktronic” reputation, going acoustic in his new album “Pressure.”
“I wanted to do something unpredictable and all over the place. My last album “˜Chemical Friends’ was folktronica. This one is anything but,” Lannon said.
Lannon’s determination to break out of the mold is evident in every song, from the choral spaced-out vocals in “River” to the straightforward rock of “Next Obsession.” The electronic background heard on most of the songs from Lannon’s previous album fades away to be replaced by a blend of electronic and acoustic beats. The songs suddenly have a bluesy element, and electronic details are submerged within the dominant acoustic texture.
Lannon attributes some of the changes present in this album ““ especially its divergence from the past ““ to albums on his rotation.
“I was going through a major Beatles phase when working on the album. The Beatles’ songs are very diverse: some ridiculously catchy, some psychedelic, some heart-wrenching ““ all in the same album. I wanted to be like them in this sense,” Lannon explained.
Everyday life is an influence on Lannon’s music as well. He cites his hometown San Francisco as his biggest inspiration.
“Some of the best music ““ period ““ came out of San Francisco. I get to live here and be a part of the spooky, never-ending history. San Francisco is a part of me. It’s beautiful and backwards at the same time.”
Aside from the more complex sound and varied inspirations, the album’s biographical lyrics are enough to intrigue any listener. Full of veiled metaphors of regret, guilt and greed, the words tell stories of relationships gone bad and stories about ordinary people. “Did I Lose You” has a political slant, stemming from Lannon’s personal struggle with the religious right. While the themes aren’t explicit, they aren’t hard to pick up on if you listen closely.
“Everyone has 20/20 hindsight and there are things we all regret. The lyrics allow you to bring your own imagination to the table,” Lannon said.
Lyrics are not Lannon’s primary concern, however. Unlike many artists who write lyrics and then compose a melody to fit them, Lannon always puts the music first.
Each song begins as an acoustic idea on guitar and is built into whatever it becomes. The songs are composed in Lannon’s small apartment, mixed in the studio, then looped with vocals. The lyrics only accentuate the musical idea.
“I change lyrics again and again, until they do the melody justice. Lyrics that are too cliché distract you from the music and force you to think of the song differently,” Lannon said.
The composition process may be unorthodox, but so is everything about this slightly folktronic, mostly acoustic folk album. “Pressure” is a blend of fantasy and reality where interplanetary sounds combine with relatable lyrics to tell whatever life story Lannon wants to share.
“I’m not saying my way is the best; it’s just what works for me,” Lannon said.