The Unborn Capitalist from Limbo

Cory Hanson, the front man of Wand and protégé of L.A. rock wizard Ty Segall, takes complete creative control in his first solo effort, The Unborn Capitalist from Limbo. Those accustomed to the fuzzed out guitar and frenzied drums of Wand are in for a surprise. This record’s soft guitar is driven by a bevy of string instruments, which the drums simply serve to accent. While listening to Wand is like taking a plunge into ice water, this album is more like sinking into a warm bath. Unborn Capitalist is compositionally and lyrically ambitious, but Hanson is more than up to the challenge. What’s most impressive is how Hanson manages to be beautifully tranquil while delivering an unsettling message.

The strings and the lyrics steal the show on this record. Arranged by Heather Locke, the strings are comprised of a cello, a viola and violins. They’re featured in every song, and they blend perfectly with Hanson’s floaty vocals. With his abstract yet scrupulously crafted lyrics, Hanson paints a picture of a dystopian universe filled with uncertainty and fear of the fragile future. In “Evening Glass,” he describes a pillaged capitalist wasteland where “Nothing is left but uranium fields.” The inhabitants of this world feel helpless and abandoned, or, as Hanson describes them in “Ordinary People,” naked and shamed. Themes of confusion, violence, and doubt litter the album, yet Hanson’s beseeching voice and wonderfully blended violins safely escort the listener through.

The timely release of this album acts as a guide through the modern world of political turmoil. Hence, Hanson’s album serves as both a vision and a warning. Luckily, in the second to last song of the album, “The Moon,” Hanson offers a notion that is noticeably absent in the rest of the tracks — hope. He rings out, “All your dreams are just waiting to be real!” followed later in the song by, “Your desire is just waiting to be filled!” He expresses faith in the inhabitants, and more importantly, the listeners, to reclaim themselves and their decimated landscape.

In Unborn Capitalist, Cory Hanson does what he does best — he lulls the audience, then sets them free into a reality completely separate yet inextricably tied to their own. What sets this record apart is that it feels like a literal journey through a land that lies in the balance. So the best way to enjoy this album is to set aside some time, forget your surroundings and set afloat on Hanson’s melodic vessel that is The Unborn Capitalist from Limbo.

Unfortunately, this album is not yet widely available on most music streaming service. The good news is that you can purchase it, and probably on a few websites. But we know forsure you most definitely can purchase it from Amazon. And you really should. Right now. Here ya go!

https://www.amazon.com/Unborn-Capitalist-Limbo-CORY-HANSON/dp/B01L2JQW7C