Conor Lynch – "Fucked Up Bumper (Demo)"

Self-released

Outside of an enthusiastic “WOO!” the first words you hear on the demo for “Fucked Up Bumper” come as an observation that is as wise and true as the mountains are tall. 

Sometimes you gotta shit but only muster up a fart.
That don’t mean a thing about the goodness of your heart.

So true, Conor Lynch, so damn true. 

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not above some toilet humor in my songs. I love Ween and Tenacious D, and I believe there’s a skill to making something funny that’s also relistenable even after you’ve memorized the punchline. I also think just because something is dirty or crass doesn’t mean it’s not saying anything profound. After all, it’s important to remember that Jackass is funny like the Earth is round. 

In “Fucked Up Bumper,” Conor Lynch opens with a laugh to disarm the listener as the Michigan-based singer-songwriter continues to lay out several more “great truths of the universe,” including a dig at the worst girl from your high school and the dumbass you share the road with on your morning commute. 

This is all coming after last year’s Slow Country, a gorgeous alt-country LP (with a tasty list of influences) that wound up becoming one of my favorite albums of 2024. As pretty as that record is, there wasn’t nearly as much humor throughout its 45 minutes as there is on display here in this one demo track. 

“Fucked Up Bumper” was recorded to an 8-track Tascam cassette recorder during a band practice, lending the song a scrappy spur-of-the-moment sensibility that works in its favor. Sonically, the track retains a similar Americana vibe found in Lynch’s previous work; there’s still whining pedal steel and an in-vogue alt-country lilt, but the guitar, drums, and bass all crackle with a lo-fi energy that makes everything feel alive. 

Thanks to this live recording approach, the music is punctuated by silly bits of studio chatter on either side–an infectious touch that makes the song that much more real and honest.