Making a Door Less Open is essentially Car Seat Headrest’s way of saying “screw it” to the hype and doing what they want.
In the span of five years, Car Seat Headrest went from being the home recordings of frontman Will Toledo to being one of the most buzzworthy indie rock bands of the 2010s. Their 2016 and 2018 albums both received enough acclaim to put them on year-end “best of” lists, and their fandom was so zealous and prying that Toledo had to tell them to calm down. If you wonder what inspires such praise and devotion, it’s the band’s combination of technical skill, clever lyrics, and above all, the charm of sounding like a garage band. Imagine your friend’s high school band was actually good, never broke up and made it big.
Making a Door Less Open has this same amount of charm, but it’s the band’s way of essentially saying “screw it” to the hype and doing what they want. Each track feels like an experiment, as Toledo set out to make “an album full of songs that had a special energy, each one unique and different in its vision.” Throwing caution to the wind, Car Seat Headrest definitely accomplishes this much on Making a Door Less Open.
After two critically acclaimed albums best described as lo-fi garage rock, Making a Door Less Open is almost entirely electronic. Some of this is thanks to the influence of drummer Andrew Katz’s part-EDM, part-comedy side project 1 Trait Danger, which also counts Toledo as a member (and was the source of his recent gas mask-sporting persona seen in the video above). For instance, the main synthesizer melody of “Deadlines (Thoughtful)” was taken from the 1 Trait Danger track “DROVE MY CAR.” This connection is less overt on other tracks, like the album’s lead single “Can’t Cool Me Down.” It’s got the bassline and drum machine of a Thom Yorke song, but Toledo’s vocal performance on it gives it an impressive edge. The album’s opener “Weightlifters” does a great job of introducing the album’s new electronic focus, with a single tone that slowly flourishes into a collage of beats, riffs, and vocals a’ la Hot Chip or LCD Soundsystem. This same technique returns later in the album during “There Must Be More Than Blood,” where the same repeated note and basic drumbeat provide the foundation for a sprawling track. If you’re looking for something upbeat, there’s the breezy synthpop “Life Worth Missing” and the closing track “Famous.” In a sentence I never thought I’d type, the former honestly sounds a little like Matt & Kim. Even if you’re not too into Car Seat Headrest’s deep dive into electronic music, you have to admit the band pulls it off exceptionally well.
There are still some rock tracks on Making a Door Less Open, but even these aren’t what you’d expect, based on Car Seat Headrest’s last two albums. To address the elephant in the room, there’s “Hollywood,” probably the band’s most divisive song yet. Katz not only wrote this track, but also shares vocal duties with Toledo, and shouts most of his verses in between heavy riffs. Based on the video’s YouTube comments, a lot of people hate that this track was a Car Seat Headrest release, but I kind of like it. I’d describe it as the band’s take on Queens of the Stone Age. The two other rock tracks, “Deadlines (Hostile)” and “Martin” are much more the band’s speed, but both incorporate a fair amount of the new electronica. The former has a grunge feel but brings in MIDI notes, while the latter combines acoustic and electric guitar strumming with drum loops and synth effects. Both of these are stellar songs, and you’ll be glad the band didn’t completely forgo rock on Making a Door Less Open.
Since all the tracks on this album function like trials in what Car Seat Headrest can sound like, there are expectedly a few misfires. Sometimes, these are part of the songs themselves, like the yells of “shut up!” at the end of Deadlines (Thoughtful).” Additionally, as much I enjoy “Can’t Cool Me Down,” I still cannot get into its MIDI interlude that sounds like a kid playing a keyboard. These are minor nitpicks, but bigger gripes come from the composition of the album itself. Each track on Making a Door Less Open is distinctive from one another, meaning it’s not exactly a cohesive album, and “What’s With You Lately” still manages to sound completely out of place. The track is nothing but guitarist Ethan Ives singing and playing an acoustic guitar. At just a minute and a half long, it functions as an interlude on an album that otherwise feels like a compilation. Then there’s the tracklist itself, which comes in three different varieties: digital/streaming (used here), CD, and vinyl. Only the physical editions come with the original “Deadlines,” and only the vinyl gives you the non-remixed version of “Hymn.” It’s a really odd choice, one that feels a little like “gotta collect ‘em all.” However, having sought out and listened to the original “Hymn” and “Deadlines,” I’m content with only having digital versions.
The lyrics on Making a Door Less Open unfortunately aren’t as quotable as Teens of Denial, nor as poignant as Twin Fantasy (Face to Face), but still have Toledo’s thought-provoking observations and deadpan delivery. “Weightlifters” contrasts the existential dread of “my resistance is crushed” with the milquetoast “I’m just here to buy some tangerines and maybe grapes without seeds,” and answers “I feel the tension, I’m afraid it will break” with “I should start lifting weights.” Elsewhere, he’s more neurotic and direct. In one of the more attention-grabbing parts of “Deadlines (Hostile)” Toledo sings “I know I won’t always need you like this, I swear I’m not always falling to bits,” emphasizing the “always” in each line. A similar sentiment runs through “Can’t Cool Me Down,” which throws in bookish references to French author Émile Zola and Polish composer Frédéric Chopin for good measure. The music may be different, but Toledo seems himself in these verses.
It’s worth remembering that Making a Door Less Open is only the band’s second album of wholly new music. Everything prior to Teens of Denial was just Toledo, and Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) was a remake of a solo release with a full band. The electronic sound might feel like a shock, but it’s only natural for band members to influence one another and try out different styles. Most of all, the band really seems to be approaching these tracks with a sense of eager curiosity, and Toledo’s album announcement emphasized the exploration aspect. Car Seat Headrest took a leap of faith with Making a Door Less Open, and really landed firm.
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