If you don’t remember Rafter, who put out a slew of sometimes-fun, sometimes-headscratching albums on Asthmatic Kitty, I don’t blame you. Hell, I debuted my now-defunct solo project opening for him at an on-campus show at my alma mater in 2010, and even I barely remembered he exists (maybe that’s because of all that Mad Dog 20/20, though…).
But the good news is that Rafter does continue to exist, pumping out albums on Bandcamp and beyond every couple of years. His next, XYZ, is out October 28 via Joyful Noise. Any time an artist jumps labels, it’s tempting to chart out why that might have happened. If first single “You Are The Last Of Your Kind” (streaming below) is any indication, perhaps it’s because Rafter has refocused his efforts on accessibility and maybe even something like earnestness, abandoning both his recent genre experiments and his longstanding penchant for upfront humor.
Indeed, “You Are The Last Of Your Kind” doesn’t return to the goofy pop-funk of Animal Feelings (2010) or Sweaty Magic (2008), even if it does exhibit the same interest in bright-colored pop. Instead, it’s serious, empty of the mock cockgrabs and irony of Rafter’s past output. However, I’m more moved by the title of track 6 on XYZ, “When I Die I wanna Get Some Of My Blood On Them.” Yeah, damn straight. Fuck ‘em, dude.