Oakland, California-based psych-alt-rock band Everyone Is Dirty introduces “Bad Man Who,” a track from their forthcoming album, Eine Kleine Jukebox Baby, slated for release January 29.
Frontwoman Sivan Lioncub explains the song, “It’s a lullaby. Traditionally lullabies were sung to children to keep the devil away. Lullaby comes from the words “Lilith Away” in Hebrew. Lilith was a folkloric demon who stole babies from their beds. The last part of the song is a celebration because he’s gone away. We hope that by creating it and playing the celebration, we can put energy towards the end of the bad man.”
Sans direct reference to who the Bad Man is, the song allows listeners to insert the name of their pet Dark Lord, be it fictional characters like Darth Vader or Voldemort, or perhaps more relevant in today’s world, extant villains treading the public platform. Still, since the band insisted on releasing “Bad Man Who” prior to the upcoming presidential election, overegging the pudding is not advised.
Made up of Sivan Lioncub (vocals, electric violin), Chris Daddio (lead guitar), Tyler English (bass, pedal steel), and Jake Kopulsky (drums), Everyone Is Dirty came together in 2013, followed by releasing their debut album, Dying Is Fun, in 2014 via Tricycle Records. They released their sophomore effort, My Neon’s Dead, in 2017 via OIM Records.
“Bad Man Who” opens on Sivan’s sawing violin riding a measured rhythm, accented by platinum guitars. Sivan’s redolent voice imbues the lyrics with portentous savors, while yet sustaining dreamy lullaby textures. Soft, indulgent harmonies add tentative woeful aromas.
“That bad man who / Fell right off the world / That bad man who / Fell right off the world / Made you think his lies were true / That Bad Man Who.”
There’s a dark undercurrent to the tune, an elusive edge some might construe as well-honed, with hints of premonition. A trickling, gleaming guitar solo, backed by sweeping strings, infuses the music with pressing significance as if waiting for the inevitable.
At once elegant and graceful, yet oh so delicately nuanced with a wicked aura, “Bad Man Who” displays the sonic flair of Everyone Is Dirty.
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