The fifth album from New Jersey quintet the Schramms is one of those hushed, muted affairs that requires a close listen, multiple close listens, actually, to fully appreciate all its subtle charms.
Heard at arms’ length, 100 Questions sounds unsubstantial, with only the occasional lyric or rolling melody sticking in the craw. But up close, the album reveals considerable depth and nuance. Produced by J.D. Foster, whose similarly textured work with Richard Buckner is the blueprint here, 100 Questions is a sprawling, nonlinear work, focused more on the emotional heart of the matter than on pop craftsmanship or genre hallmarks.
Bandleader Dave Schramm, of course, has been a kind of indie/folk-rock MVP over the years, playing with unknown legends Human Switchboard, helping to found Yo La Tengo, serving as guitar slinger for Freedy Johnston, etc. On 100 Questions, his band displays more musical grasp than ever, particularly on the wigged-out, nearly psychedelic “Mary Come Lately”, the jaunty, sunbaked vibe of “Yesterday Falls Away”, and the driving dreamscape “Simple Arithmetic”.
Meanwhile, Schramm’s impressionist, ever-contemplative lyrics aim straight for the subconscious, the psychological netherworld where dreams, ghosts, mystery and illusion intersect. Always an ambitious and poetic, if occasionally obtuse, lyricist, Schramm — with Foster’s warm, velvety blanket of a production job — finally has a musical vision to match.