The Perfect Pandemic Companion: Car Seat Headrest’s ‘Making a Door Less Open’

The Perfect Pandemic Companion: Car Seat Headrest’s ‘Making a Door Less Open’

Album Review by Sarah Woods

Will Toledo has never been one to take traditional avenues when it comes to producing music with his bandmates Andrew Katz, Ethan Ives, and Seth Dalby, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to his loyal indie rock fanbase when it was announced that the new Car Seat Headrest album ‘Making a Door Less Open’ would feature electronic production. The surprising aspect though was the announcement of the involvement of a new duo named 1 Trait Danger, a CSH electronic side project involving drummer Andrew Katz and Toledo’s new persona “Trait.” While Toledo is keeping music production within the Car Seat Headrest family, the sound itself is nothing like you’ve heard before from the melancholy songwriter, who is now purposefully moving away from the bright lights of the wide indie rock fame developed after ‘Teens of Denial’ and instead towards a new sound that won’t keep the artist within a box of his own making. 

With a new focus on the art of the complete single that steers away from the concept album storytelling we idolized in ‘Twin Fantasy’, Toledo presents us now with not just one but 11 unique tracks (even more if you purchase every format of the new album) that each encapsulate a different feeling and desire, ranging from the pain of an estranged relationship with a family member in “There Must Be More than Blood” to the boundless hope of dreams coming true, as long as you can keep your mouth shut that is, in the opener “Weightlifters.” Even with the hit singles “Hollywood” and “Can’t Cool Me Down” that act as catchy break-up songs with the people and places Toledo hates most, you can tell the artist has used the past 4 years to futher develop his unique style of songwriting and use it to his advantage when mixing in his new electronic sound as Trait in tracks such as “Hymn - Remix” and “Deadlines (Thoughtful).” 

While it was not anticipated that the album would be released during a worldwide pandemic, the album’s overall themes of anger with society, sickness, loneliness, and love are all too familiar to everything happening in the world today during this difficult period. Whether it’s to find a moment of respite from the chaos of what’s happening right outside your door or to allow yourself the freedom to wallow in the inevitable feelings of anger and woe for the lives lost to COVID-19, ‘Making a Door Less Open’ is the perfect pandemic companion for when the world continues to burn down around you. Find it now on streaming services or purchase as a Vinyl LP, CD, or MP3 on the official Matador Records website.