Kent Worcester - That's Why I Surf

Kent Worcester

That's Why I Surf
self-released; 2019

​3.6 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Kent Worcester is a NYC-based writer, editor, and comics critic who has recorded approximately forty songs over the years. I listened to four of them on his EP entitled That's Why I Surf.

Some songs on this EP felt tongue-in-cheek while others I wasn’t so sure about. From a musical perspective the songs are fairly stripped back simple. Take for instance the opener “That’s Why I Surf” which starts with a  4/4 beat and muted chords. Worcester repeats the lines “that’s why I surf” and that’s the whole song. The music doesn't really change either. The humor of the song comes in the last line “why is that I surf again?” He never gives any answers nor am I sure anyone cares.

Up next is “You Should Move to Pittsburgh” and this song could have been completely improvised. The lyrics feel just like a stream of consciousness as if you were having a conversation with a guy who might be an acquaintance. My favorite line was, “It’s not like you have a good apartment / something overlooking something somewhere” which is kind of a crappy thing to say to someone. It might be true but I would slightly perturbed if someone said that to me even if it were true.

“Apart” revolves around a couple strummed chords, possibly a single sine wave and vocals. This song felt more sincere than anything that came before. The mood is a little more pensive and melancholy. The next song is somber in a similar way when it comes to the music. I was confused on this song. The lyrics were spoken word and I couldn't tell if this an honest effort at giving an Alan Watts type speech or not. Either way the first couple of songs are clearly comical so it was odd transition in emotion.

​I’m not sure where the emotional foundation is on these four songs. It shifted. At any rate we will be interviewing Worcester soon so I will get some answers as to what his thirty-six other songs are like.

Tweet