Fresh Track: Chad Serhal “30”

Bloomington’s Chad Serhal has been churning out some consistently terrific material lately. He serves as frontman for She Does Is Magic, whose self-titled, debut EP wound up on my Top 5 of 2011 list. Yesterday, Serhal released an album of solo material entitled Golden. The 13 tracks were penned last year and recorded in a single week, kicking off 2012. The album begins with the voice of Edward Bloom from Tim Burton’s 2003 flick Big Fish, saying “And if I were to end up here, I’d feel lucky. But the truth is, I’m not ready to end up anywhere.”

The constrictive nature of a less than fulfilling hometown echoes in Serhal’s lyrics throughout the opening track “30.” The song’s voice speaks to the restlessness one feels with complacency, advising instead that the listener “Get out while the getting’s good.” A sentiment as old as rock n roll. Here, Serhal seems to be justifying his own dream of the aspiring musician as a life worth living, saying, “You have to keep moving / you can’t be confined to your neighborhood /  And let the music take you places / you never thought you could.”

By the end of the track, Serhal ensures that he understands that the path he’s chosen will not be easy. To pull this off he returns to Edward Bloom. Now Bloom is being asked by a young child how he could possibly expect to make it without his shoes. Bloom’s reply: “Well, I suspect it will hurt – a lot.” Grab Golden for $5 from Bandcamp. Keep your ears open for She Does is Magic’s debut, full-length LP due to drop on Bloomington’s Flannelgraph Records later this year.

Connect with Chad Serhal via Twitter |Bandcamp

Written by Rob Peoni