Tough Love

Description

For more than 30 years, Simon Joyner has stood apart: a completely independent artist, wholly devoted to his craft. This singer-songwriter from Omaha began releasing records in the early 90s and has never strayed from his path since. His songs, steeped in joy and melancholy, have influenced several generations of artists, appearing both as a direct influence on bands like Bright Eyes or Kevin Morby and through shared resonances in artists such as Lenker, Oldham and Molina. “Tough Love,” his nineteenth studio album, continues in that same vein. Closely tied to the personal grief of “Coyote Butterfly” (2024), an autobiographical album made after the death of his son, this new release explores the concept of tough love as a dichotomy applied to various fictional relationships, whether romantic, familial or political. This subtle balance comes through in striking portraits of everyday sorrows and in an exploration of political anger and the betrayals of the American dream. One of the wonders of Joyner’s catalog lies in the way his motifs do not repeat themselves, but transform. The nods to Cohen, Dylan and the Velvet Underground have been an integral part of his writing since his lo-fi beginnings, but the way these references are woven in is constantly evolving. If Joyner’s raw acoustic songs take center stage, they are energized by electric guitars and infused with experimental tendencies. His rock tracks oscillate between the minimalist grooves borrowed from the Velvet Underground of the Loaded era and the ecstatic rhythmic strangeness of Can. As the penultimate track, “Anniversary Song,” approaches, ghostly voices and microtonal synth crackles blur the boundaries between Joyner’s folk soul and his avant-garde spirit. All of this leads to the 20-minute title track that closes Tough Love, a devastating plunge into an apparently bottomless abyss of regret, survivor’s guilt and raw grief. Borrowing a repetitive structure from Lou Reed’s narrative suite, “Street Hassle,” and combining it with Dylan’s poignant testimony in “Sad-eyed Lady of the Lowlands,” Joyner narrates from the point of view of his departed son, addressing his father and laying bare each of his failings, brutally underscoring their irreversibility. Soon, however, this agony turns into a transcendent experience, both through the elegance of its imagery and its ethereal atmosphere. The album’s final moments allow for self-forgiveness and, hopefully, one day, understanding. This cathartic ending gives coherence to all the tangled feelings that run through Tough Love. Just as Joyner approaches songwriting from original and singular angles that transform with each new album, his relationship to grief, everyday struggles and the perpetual longing for a better future also evolves on Tough Love. Once again, meaning deepens, breathing transformation into every chord, every unexpected observation, every deep sigh.