ALBUM REVIEW: Them Coulee Boys’ ‘No Fun in the Chrysalis,’ Highlights the Importance of Appreciating Every Moment 

Within seconds of their newest LP’s beginning, Them Coulee Boys deliver the album’s titular phrase, “no fun in the chrysalis,” shortly after, they follow with the declaration: “Change is a funny thing / Pain can make you sing.” It’s a fitting statement of intent for an album whose unifying theme is navigating life’s many fluctuations. On the opener, “Change, etc.,” the band examine the desperation fostered by uncertainty (“Sometimes you still talk to God / Wonder if you’re loud enough”) and deliver a straightforward, warmly empathetic retort: “Maybe give yourself a break / We’re happy that you’re here”.

Across 11 tracks, Them Coulee Boys – the Wisconsin five-piece band originally formed by two camp counselors in 2011 – offer a remarkably wide-ranging, enduringly sympathetic examination of the human condition. “As Long As You Let Me”, is a warm, sincere love song (“I’m gonna love you as long as you let me”) that abruptly turns into a startling meditation on love lost. “Now I band my chest, where you used to lay your head…”, lead singer Soren Staff cries in a testament to the band’s knack for affecting couplets, “…I tried to fill it with the band, alcohol and my right hand,” he adds. Those last few words are delivered in a muffle, a subtly powerful testament to the all-consuming nature of shame. 

For Chrysalis, the band reunited with Grammy winner Brian Joseph, who has worked with Bon Iver, Kathleen Edwards, and Sufjan Stevens. Though the soundscapes favored by such artists are very much distinct from those of Them Coulee Boys, the Boys incorporate much of the melodic flair and experimental zeal that put those former artists on the map. Across it’s runtime, the quintet’s latest LP infuses Southern rock (“Up Close”), shimmering ambient (“Mornings”), Acoustic folk-rock a la Noah Kahan (“Mountains”) and pedal steel-led Americana (“Tomorrow, Tonight”). 

A risky move for a band whose latest album will undoubtedly serve as an introduction for many, Them Coulee Boys save their two greatest statements for last. The first of these is “Harvey and Margie” – something of an older, more jaded cousin to John Prine’s “Donald and Lydia,” offering a character study of those “still staring at the scoreboard” of life. The latter, “I’m Not Sad Anymore,” captures the band at their most free-wheeling and euphoric with a loud-quiet dynamic that highlights the seemingly kismet connection between the band members. Amidst the shadows of grief, the group find solace in shared connection, memories, and present-day peace. ‘’I’m not sad anymore / At least not right now,” rings out the hard-fought victory cry, a fitting final sentiment for an album that highlights the importance of appreciating each moment – and accepting it on its own terms.

Them Coulee Boys’ No Fun in the Chrysalis is out Feb. 28 via Some Fun Records.