Chris J Norwood - I Am Not Cool (2021)

I Am Not Cool is the follow-up to Norwood's much-praised 2017 debut record Longshot. In addition to Norwood's genial ability to say things you may not want to hear and leave you appreciating the experience, he is also masterful at a kind of tongue-in-cheek levity that is sorely missing from this genre. There's only two kinds of music / What's true and what ain't / It only takes three chords to set the record straight... lyrics on the "I Am Not Cool" title cut, a perfect example of how his economy of words is quizzical, meta, and puts a smile on your face all at the same time. Once again, it is astounding how Norwood is able to take such personal matters, write about them with conviction and clarity, make it catchy and memorable, and make you feel like you challenged yourself and had a chuckle all at once. Norwood's brand of vulnerable, self-effacing songwriting, salted with a bit of required brainpower... it's unique. And it's here to stay.