Cullen Omori - New Misery (2016) [Hi-Res]

Cullen Omori knows it’s a false cliche to say there are no second acts in American lives, but after the 2014 breakup of his acclaimed band the Smith Westerns, living that cliche was his greatest fear. His solo debut New Misery, out March 18 on Sub Pop Records, is a direct challenge to that anxiety: an album that goes beyond the glam punch of the Smith Westerns to new sounds, new sources of inspiration, and greater self-awareness.

“I had this overwhelming feeling that perhaps the apex of my life both as a musician and as an individual would be relegated to five years in my late teens/early 20s,” says Omori, who was launched into the music industry when the Smith Westerns, who started in high school in Chicago, became fast-rising indie stars. “This fear really forced me to work hard as to not see the Smith Westerns as an end but as a point along a bigger trajectory.”

While New Misery grew out of a difficult personal and professional time for Omori, he says the title reflects “not so much the distress that comes with failure, but the troubles and complexities that come with any type of success. No matter what you get you’re going to want more, you’re going to want something different. That’s the catch.”

Tracklist:
01. Cullen Omori - No Big Deal (4:16)
02. Cullen Omori - Two Kinds (3:20)
03. Cullen Omori - Hey Girl (5:13)
04. Cullen Omori - And Yet the World Still Turns (4:04)
05. Cullen Omori - Cinnamon (4:00)
06. Cullen Omori - Poison Dart (4:48)
07. Cullen Omori - Sour Silk (3:37)
08. Cullen Omori - Synthetic Romance (3:23)
09. Cullen Omori - Be a Man (3:21)
10. Cullen Omori - LOM (3:39)
11. Cullen Omori - New Misery (3:31)