Phil Jacob: Out of necessity, I narrowed the field down to my favorite LA-centric album, in keeping with the theme of our new record Sunset on Sunset. And even then I was overwhelmed with so many gems, like Warren Zevon’s self-titled masterpiece and Love’s stunning Forever Changes. Both albums I would classify as obsessions, not to mention Beach Boys, Joni, Beefheart, and all the great punk and hip hop from that locale.
In the end, nothing captures my imagination of L.A. quite like Steely Dan’s Gaucho. It feels like a David Lynch film to my ears, a windy narrative careening towards total disaster. Donald Fagen’s voice brings to mind creeps you want to get as far away from as possible and yet their stories compel you to stay and captivate you with their underlying sadness. As usual with Steely Dan, beneath these lyrical dumpster fires there are some ridiculously slick disco beats, jazzy vamps, and flashy solos. Taken altogether, this juxtaposition of sleaze and cheese creates a friction that brings to mind Randy Newman’s storytelling, brought to its ultimate extreme.
Psychic Lines’ album Sunset on Sunset is out now. See instagram.com/psychic.lines for more info. ❖