Let's Cry And Do Pushups At The Same Time

At face value, Luke Wyatt's music and visual art have a kind of wink-and-a-grin quality—something you get from his new album's title, Let's Cry And Do Pushups At The Same Time. But underneath this wry humor, his Torn Hawk project has given us some of his most emotionally direct music.

The outstanding album opener, “I’m Flexible,” tumbles backwards down a rabbit hole of digital handclaps and effervescent Bubble Bobble programming. From that point on you’re in a wash of complex, often conflicting sentiments that provide for a truly exceptional listening experience.

Let's Cry and Do Pushups at the Same Time is Luke Wyatt's second album as Torn Hawk this year. He's still playing with the emotional resonance of his own specific memories, and nostalgia is still a primary factor, but it's tempered by a breathy, new age smoothness.

There’s no question that Torn Hawk is carving his own, art-damaged lane, but unfortunately, Let’s Cry is not the defining statement of his aesthetic.

Let’s Cry And Do Pushups At The Same Time works because it’s emotional and pins us down somewhere between the computer and life, where we want to be.