Dating at least as far back as 2019’s Devin, Devin McKnight’s Maneka project has been an outlet for the former Speedy Ortiz and Grass Is Green guitarist to explore sonic ideas ranging from grunge and noise rock to hip-hop and jazz, with each successive release becoming tougher to classify. His fourth and latest record, Bathes and Listens, is no exception—leading single “Dimelo” opens with a wash of industrial sound so thick and heavy you could confuse it with experimental metal outfit Uniform’s latest chapter. On the opposite end of that spectrum, late-album cut “Throwing Ax” is a spare slowcore tune that mines a similarly dark and angsty feel that makes the project’s Halloween-week release feel appropriate.
Perhaps even more intriguing about the record is its equally boundless, psychologically prodding lyrics, which culminate in a rousing outro serving the dual purpose of a land-acknowledgement statement and a simple justification for taking edibles and playing NBA 2K. It’s hard not to examine how sports form a lyrical through line on the album, too, with that latter topic contrasting with McKnight’s high school football years relived on two separate tracks that help make up a mid-album triptych about warily re-examining youthful behavior from the perspective of adulthood. He even cites Carmelo Anthony—particularly a far-from-washed Hoodie Melo—as the primary influence behind the aforementioned “Dimelo,” if not his career in music more broadly.
With the record out today via Topshelf Records, McKnight takes us deeper into themes both unconscious and hyperconscious that inspired Bathes and Listens—as well as the improv sax solos and morbid imagery that help make it such a memorable listen.
1. “Shallowing”
The lyrics to this song kind of just spilled out of me. There’s no solid meaning. But I think I’m describing an experience “sowing my wild oats,” so to speak, in a closet at a party or something, with the choruses being my true vulnerable self spewing out my deepest insecurities, sort of interrupting the spicy action. I feel like [producer/engineer] Alex Farrar really helped turn this song into something more anthemic and less of a bummer, which I love. It was the first one we recorded and kind of aided in reenergizing me.
2. “Dimelo”
This is an ode to Carmelo Anthony, but the Melo that was leaving NYC. The Knicks were awful, but he was still his normal prolific scoring self. Phil Jackson was GM back then and hated how Melo played and did everything he could to make him uncomfortable and chase him out of town. So when Hoodie Melo became a thing, he was just getting back to the grind, controlling what he could, and getting buckets. I’m definitely trying all the time to channel this energy when I’m feeling down.
3. “Sad Bot”
I’m not really sure what I meant when writing this one. Something along the lines of trudging through the muck of mediocrity in a relationship while drowning in depression and hopelessness. It was originally called “Sad Boy,” but when I was feeling this way I felt more inhuman, like a bot or something going along with my shitty programming.
4. “The Cry That Came”
For 10 years as a kid I played football, and one common experience of everyone who’s done this is the Oklahoma Drill. This song is about me knocking another 15-year-old kid out of practice because I really did not like him. And he started crying and faked an injury so he wouldn’t have to go against me again. Everyone started laughing at him and I felt good for about 15 minutes, then I started to think differently about reveling in violent behavior at the expense of others. Basically, violence is cooked.
5. “Pony”
This is another song about high school football. I transferred to a private school (Our Lady of Good Counsel) in the middle of junior year to try to get a better shot at playing in college. My teammates there seemed to want to call me Pony Boy because I was, as they put it, an “outsider.” Truly bizarre, but it actually stuck for that year and a half whether I liked it or not. It’s supposed to be from the POV of an old coach or player telling stories about Montgomery County high school football. I found that a lot of my involvement in this American pastime was born out of stories my dad and uncles told me as a child about their playing days. Then, once I got older, there were more tall tales being spun by coaches and old heads about legendary players and teams. The first verse is him talking briefly about me. The second verse through the end is him rambling on about himself and how dope he was—winning states, partying, and carrying on. I never lived up to this kind of legend, but growing up is realizing that’s probably for the best.
6. “Yung Yeller”
This song is about being “too big for your britches.” I’m looking back on stupid things I did when I was young that could’ve killed me or drastically changed my life, but ultimately didn’t, because I got lucky. This is also maybe my favorite song I’ve done and the most interesting, in my opinion.
7. “Throwing Ax”
I wrote this to describe the experience of allowing bad news to hit you. The bad news in question is loss. In lieu of this, I found myself imagining what it’d be like to be the target at an ax-throwing bar. I acknowledge this is pretty morbid and gruesome imagery, but we gotta drive the point home, right? Being honest with yourself is ultimately good, but it can really hurt—like, a lot.
8. “5225”
You ever notice how some numbers are the same forward and backward? Pretty trippy, man. Maneka getting modal and jazzy on this one, bro. I love a solid improvisational saxophone moment on my records.
9. “Why I Play 2K/Land Back”
I like to play NBA 2K to escape the stresses of daily life. The situation in this song is what started this ritual. The recipe is some milligrams of a weed gummy, 2K, and pineapple fried rice from my favorite Thai spot. Rinse and repeat. Ball is life. Not sure why, but I felt the need to end the album with my version of a land acknowledgement. I guess because I’m sitting here crying about my personal life while on stolen land during a genocide. It’s important to keep that in perspective...or something. I think I was watching the show Reservation Dogs and the genocide in Palestine was ramping up at the same time, so I said, “Fuck it, this is going on the record.” So yeah it’s on the record.
