Quieting Syrup is more than just a moniker for Denali bassist
Stephen Howard’s solo project. It’s a perfect description of the 12
tracks on Songs About a Sick Boy. Howard offers mollifying,
drowsy ballads that move at the speed of dripping molasses. The
deliberate drumming, shimmering guitars, bare-bones production and
pillow-talk vocals recall the maudlin beauty of early Pedro the Lion,
while Howard’s starry-eyed lyrics pay homage to emo’s forefathers and
sad bastards everywhere. These songs were written over more than a
decade, and it’s clear the period hasn’t been a good one for Howard.
Tales of broken hearts, declining health, hospital trips, anxiety and
debilitating loneliness pervade the record. Sometimes this makes for
powerfully sparse and resonant moments (“Passwords to a Fort Full of
Pills,” “Winter of Our Discontent,” “The Answer Lies in Drinking”);
other times, it’s simply draining and overindulgent (“So This Is
Dying,” “Dec. 7th 2003”). Luckily, Howard is a better-than-average
songwriter whose most morose compositions transcend mere masochism to
become weepy pop. — Matt Whelihan
This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2009.
