That One Roommate | Roommate Noises | Album Review

…And They Were Roommates Records

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

With That One Roommate’s debut of “That One Song” in the shower a year ago, the one-man band has gone back to the studio to record a full album, Roommate Noises, moving beyond the confines of the bathroom and taking over the entire apartment for a fully immersive experience for their few trapped audience members. 

The album literally starts off with a bang in the song “Putting Away Dishes at 6 a.m. (feat. pots and pans).” The cacophony of clinking kitchen utensils and slamming cupboard doors overpowers the lyrics “Oh wow / I didn’t expect putting away dishes to be this loud / Oh well / I’m sure me taking responsibility will make my sleeping roommates proud.” This truly makes for a rough start on the album…and to the day. 

Other songs like “Speaker Phone at Full Volume,” and “Slamming Doors” make listeners question if they should find a new album all together, but then, just at the right time, the hit song “Home Alone” graces their ears, bringing a moment of peacefulness. This is the only redeemable quality of the album. Unfortunately, this song is the shortest, only lasting 13 seconds before “Friends Over” pierces through with deafening shrieks and is followed by an infamous remix of the initial song sung in the shower that made this artist known.

The real low point of Roommate Noises is “Small Talk.” This song has the unique power of blurring that one-way communication street that music typically creates for listeners by continuously stringing together pointless questions. The lyrics “This weather is crazy, huh? / Have you seen this show?” evokes frustration and anxiety in listeners.

By the end of the first song, listeners will be begging for an escape from That One Roommate. And for the few who make it to the end of the album, they have an immense amount of patience. It would be best to skip to the song “Home Alone” and leave it on repeat rather than subject precious ears to this content.

This article is April Fool’s content.