'Postcards from the Rearview Mirror,’ by Sabrina Chap is the perfect quarantine listen for these strange times.
REVIEWED BY: JEN MONTOYA
What happens when a pandemic forces eateries, yoga studios, bars, venues, theaters, and places people generally like to hang out, close indefinitely? Sabrina Chap goes to work in her Brooklyn bedroom with an electric guitar, a piano, and some friends. David Engelhard (soft sirens), programs the drums, Bobby Mc Cullough on Chap’s bed records the bass and low and behold, Sabrina Chap and the Queer Heartbreak is born. In the era of chat driven podcast and audio journalism, when our ears are inundated with every type of audio experience, Sabrina Chap reaches deep and brings forth a Queer Radio Musical.
Artist: Sabrina Chap
In her new album, “Postcards from the Rearview Mirror,” The LGBTQIA community is given a gift of an artwork that speaks to the experience of loving someone who is incapable of loving you back. It’s a performance driven album of twenty tracks. Half are postcard monologues written by an unnamed narrator — a young woman writing her sister from the road. The other half are a mixture of electronic-pop, indie-folk, and punk-rock; the music underscores the storytelling and helps drive the emotion. The many elements come together and create something that is a fully realized concept that tells an overarching story of love and loss.
Ava Mendoza
One of the best parts of the album is how it weaves so many types of music into a single experience. Chap enlisted queer artist Ava Mendoza to solo on “Drive,” while engaging Somer Bingham (cast member of the L Word/MSNR PLSR) to mix the album. ‘Drive’ the first song on the track captures the drama and thrill of a cross country road trip. Mendoza’s guitar works as an undercurrent that propels the audience into the unknown which is both exciting and slightly unnerving.
Somer Bingham
The next two songs, “Shotgun Wedding” and “Different Sun” are catchy tracks that do a lot of world building, making it easy to fall into this audio soundscape of the narrator’s world. They are the most indie folk tracks on the album which underscores Chap’s ability to craft music that reaches beyond the queer community to broader audiences.
At its core, “Postcards from the Rearview Mirror,” is told through the perspective of a nameless girl who writes her sister, whom she calls “R” about her escape to LA with her… girlfriend? Lover? Friend? All we know is it’s a teen called “J.” But we quickly find out that “J” is trouble, and prone to getting into questionable situations. Some of the best songs on the album work within the story arc. Two songs that stand out in the latter half of the album are “Hate becomes you,” a little punk-rock meets vaudevillian piano. This song is like a musical storm that punctuates the fury of being duped by love. Next on the album, “Red Heart,” is one of the most intimate works. It’s gorgeous with beautiful lyrics and Sabrina’s voice really captures the stages of loss and longing.
LA is a hell scape with sweltering sun, questionable air quality, endless freeways, its a town where people evolve for better or worse into their next self. The narrator of our story is given a dose of this reality. “J” is the girl you fall in love with who inevitably will break your heart. Everyone’s got their “J,” and Chap does an excellent job exploring these lingering wounds.
Chap enlisted filmmaker Anna Hovhannessian to create nine videos for her live performances. Since her tour is delayed (COVID), two of these will be released as music videos, (Red Heart & Hate Becomes You), allowing a sneak peek into Chap’s raw on-stage show. Luckily, at a time when live performance is restricted, Chap has provided an album so theatrical listeners can have it come alive before them simply by closing their eyes.
THE ALBUM RELEASED ON OCT 15TH is Available on Bandcamp. Sabrina is doing this because Bandcamp is a music platform that has been supporting musicians during Covid. Pass the hat around and support queer indie artist.
(Songs in Bold)
1. Postcard One- :41
2. Drive 4:02
3. Postcard Two :57
4. Shotgun Wedding 3:30
5. Postcard Three :57
6. Different Sun 4:04
7. Postcard Four :35
8. Own this Town* 3:24
9. Postcard Five 1:17
10. Make Me Famous 4:53
11. Postcard Six :57
12. My Love 4:55
13. Postcard Seven :31
14. Hate Becomes You 3:56
15. Postcard Eight :34
16. Red Heart 4:21
17. Postcard Nine: :47
18. the Game 3:16
19. Postcard Ten :50
20. I’ll Come Running 4:00