Michael Cera released an indie lullaby of an album, True That, Beyonce style-- overnight fittingly on Bandcamp. To wit, Cera received a promotional Twitter announcement from old time friend Jonah Hill. Must have thought these up on set for This Is Our Youth with Tavi Gevinson and Kieran Culkin.
“My great friend Michael Cera [is] not only is a brilliant actor, he also makes great music,” Hill tweeted, with a link to Cera’s hip and akward Bandcamp account.
Listen below to True That in its entirety. What a darling.
Ceras’ first official album is comprised of 18 short songs, which celebrate a healthy mix of piano, organ, guitar and lo-fi haze under Cera’s sleepy voice. You can cop it as a whole for $7 including bonus tracks, or you can just pick and choose your fav cuts.
Cera carefully chose tags on Basecamp to categorize his music: “alternative / dirty / hello / home recording / modest / music / New York”. The tag for “modest” is perhaps a hint at Joe Plummer from Modest Mouse and Ceras’ band mate in Mister Heavenly.
The music compositions are just as carefully detailed through the Broken Social Scene esque digi-record. Cera reworks Blaze Foley’s “Clay Pigeon” from a true grit country twang song for a Simon and Garfunkel sound. And psychedelic “Steady Now” Cera talks of inter conflicts and ways to seek solace on your own: “lay your heart down and call it a day/ it's so hard to see you when fear is consuming you.”
The accompanying "album art" isn't half bad either, with a hilariously akward Cera posing infront of a tent, or freightened by a youngster--perhaps at the home he recorded in.
Of course, True That and his work with Mister Heavenly are not Ceras’ first time at the musical rodeo. Cera found a spot on Weezer’s 2011 single “Hang On,” and covered the Moldy Peaches for 2007’s Juno soundtrack.
No tour dates announced as of yet. Instead, you can watch this adorable performance by Cera in signature oversized red knit hat and white hexagonal bass.
