Second half of new album paints darker mood

After taking a one-year hiatus from songwriting to invest her time volunteering in state prisons, Thao Nguyen, lead singer of Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, returns with “We the Common,” an album that holds true to Nguyen’s carefree tunes and cheerful vibes but is also reflective of her recent experiences.

“We the Common” is undeniably awash in melodies reminiscent of endless summer days and laze. The catchy tunes will have sonic palettes tingling and bodies bobbling to and fro to the irresistible ooh’s, ahh’s and dun dun dun’s.

The album kickstarts with “We the Common,” a song introduced with rhythmic acoustic guitar strummings meshed with peppy background beats and joyful yoop’s. Tracks like “We Don’t Call” and “Feeling Kind” continue the album’s contagious tempo as Nguyen’s vocals fall into deeper alto tones and bring in elements of piano, trumpets and bluegrass jazz.

Although many albums eventually fade out with the repetitious up-tempo beats found in track after track, “We the Common” artfully engages listeners with a treasure trove of noise from unexpected instrumentals to vocal experiments. The gem of the album, “Kindness Be Conceived,” displays this when Nguyen’s weightless vocals duet with folk harpist Joanna Newsom’s raw croons and sweet twang, adding a texture and cacophonous harmony that somehow works – and so beautifully.

However, while Nguyen’s vocal percussions become a trademark through the album, it also seems to be the only element that remains constant. The freedom with which Nguyen allows her songs to permeate genres fails to place her album in a clear, definitive category – sometimes sounding like folk-rock and other times bluegrass-alternative.

With tracks like “City,” “The Day Long” and “Move,” Nguyen even brings in a little bit of punk flair with sounds from heavier metal guitars accompanied by an organized discord of wailing.

The second half of the album carries the mood into a much darker hole with instrumentals stripped bare. In “Cloud for Brains” and “Human Heart,” Nguyen takes a turn for bluesy melancholy with accompaniment from her kazoo, voice oozing melody like dripping honey.

In several interviews, Nguyen reveals how her experience meeting incarcerated women through volunteering with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners inspired a realization of humanity that has found its way into the lyricism of her new album. Her opening song “We the Common” is, in fact, dedicated to Valerie Bolden, whom she met during one of her first visits to the state prison.

It seems that in spite of the seemingly cheerful exuberance that Nguyen exudes through the first few tracks, there is also a heavier melancholy in the well-conceived and intentionally thoughtful lyrics that eventually take hold of “We the Common.”

Admittedly, the album’s continuously overlapping genres make it hard to digest at times, but Nguyen proves that patience isn’t without its rewards. And at the end of the day, who doesn’t mind a good album to sway to?

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