New album. New band name. Let’s Eat The Rich.
written by Elecktra Stanislava
narrated by Elecktra Stanislava
You may know the band by another name: CJ and Stieg. Named after members (and friends) CJ Rodgers and Tim Stieg, this Norman-based duo has honed its skills for years on residencies, open mics, and consistent gigs within the greater Oklahoma City metro area. With the addition of Tyler Romine on drums in late spring of 2022, a name change began to marinate.
The trio frequently joins forces with fellow Normanite and powerhouse singer-songwriter and vocalist Bailey Gilbert, forming Baileyboy. This supergroup think tank is insightful, often political, and always consciously minded.
CJ and Stieg and Tyler doesn’t quite roll off the tongue or leave the same taste as Let’s Eat The Rich, the new project name (stylized and shortened to a more demure acronym, LETR). Whether long form or nickname, LETR has spent the latter year envisioning and developing its rebrand along with a debut album. LETR draws a precise, direct eye to the band’s ideology and ethos. Let’s Eat The Rich embraces a progressive attitude in its progressive rock.
For its debut album, The Sum of Their Actions, LETR has planned an album release show at Resonant Head (400 S.W. 25th St, Oklahoma City) on Saturday, August 17th, 2024 at 7pm with support from Autumn Aftermath and Electric Sunrise.
LETR’s album features catchy, progressive hooks, beefy bass lines, driving guitar riffs, and solid percussion, all heightened by the trio’s notably tight harmonies. Tyler’s addition to the already complex, synchronous vocal arrangements of older songs written for the duo creates even more beautiful, dynamic, swelling layers. Influenced by some of the greatest alternative and progressive rock acts of recent decades, LETR takes listeners on mesmerizing journeys throughout its 10-track debut album, which runs for an hour and eight minutes.
The opening track, “Disinterest”, begins sparsely with simple guitar, then adds more, building the intro over a minute in length before drums even fully join. LETR’s use of extended instrumental sections interspersed with thoughtful lyrics is a well-oiled delivery mechanism for any progressive metal fan. “Disinterest” serves as a societal examination of instant gratification and screen-addicted masses and begins to scratch the surface of the album’s pervading anti-capitalist agenda within the overarching theme of this album.
“Feast of the Flawed” further magnifies the negatives of American consumer culture. The song’s set-up evokes a table prepared for a feast, the National Day of Mourning, or Thanksgiving. The hunger and imperfections still gnaw despite this laden table. This reveals that no appetite is ever sated in such a scenario. The song conjures imagery of stampedes that could be likened to a Black Friday sale and grasping for only scraps. Though far from picturesque and serene, “Feast of the Flawed” paints in details as vivid as Da Vinci’s The Last Supper the supposed needs and wants of Americans—guns, consumerism, and media escapism. People want more, but they conflate substance with filler.
“Lies Not Truth” delves into a more personal and emotional level, establishing a sense of connection with the frustrations that a media cycle can hide from the more critical matters of current affairs. The band has honed delivering thoughtful lyrics with tight harmonies heard throughout this track. Additionally, this track has some powerful riffs. The listener should pay attention to both the exceptional quality of the instrumentals and the focus on lyrical themes, as the truth lies in the combining of these elements.
“Truth” is the counterpart to “Lies Not Truth”. “Truth” adopts a sparse and earnest ballad of self-reflection. Life and its truths carry a heavy, depressing weight of inevitable facts. It is a tale of isolation in sorrowful lament, but as with all emotions, feelings span a spectrum. More than one emotion can claw at a person simultaneously. They can be angry and sad. The song leads the listener on a journey of emotion that moves through both anger and revenge, seemingly focused on the status quo and the depression of unwanted or unattained societal expectations. The bridge makes a triumphant instrumental arrival that builds an expectation of success despite these feelings and personal failings. However, the outcome may involve suppressing emotions, creating a further cycle of isolation and depression by “carrying on as though it’s fine.” This encapsulates an important truth of adulthood.
“Here We Are” introduces strings with much pomp to emphasize how overcoming obstacles and leaving fear behind is within reach. It presents as a hopeful acoustic tune that advocates reaching out to those nearby and asking for friendly community support. Swelling harmonies in the song serve as a tranquil call to challenge the apathy of feeling like one’s actions are fruitless.
“Hypnotized” stands out as the only song on this album without an extended instrumental intro. The opening guitar bounces back and forth hypnotically in a gritty pendulum-like swing before a brief riff break. Romine’s use of open-to-closed hi-hats adds a nice, percussive, nuanced reply to the guitar and vocal melody. The song continues the album’s thematic narrative, delving into how the media culture lulls Americans into a mindless stupor.
“Greed” is a classic mid-tempo headbanger featuring LETR’s signature harmonies right up front. The guitar and bass overdriven riff evokes nostalgia for grunge and metal bands of the 90’s while still showcasing LETR’s style. The underlying message of the song goes beyond the notion that greed is solely about wanting more; it highlights the act of taking away from those who never had equitable necessities to begin with. A wailing guitar solo cuts into the later half of the song to amp up the punch of this track.
“Things Never Changed” indignantly acknowledges the stagnant status quo. Much of the song mirrors the tempestuous nature of an unforgiving sea. Interspersed within are moments of clear calm, serving to amplify the rage of disillusionment and the eventual acceptance that some realities may never change.
“Need For More,” the lead single, serves as a prime example of what to expect from the album. It encapsulates all of the elements that make LETR’s unique sound: overdriven palm muted guitars, reverb and delayed guitar overlaps, punchy bass lines, and voices blending into a beautiful haunting chorus. There is a sense of inexorable push and pull, swaying back and forth, pulsating with a constant sense of motion that drives this track to convey its meaning not only through lyrics but also through the rhythm and unity of the full band. “Need For More” brings many of the concepts of this album together and serves them on a silver platter. Exploring wage disparity, poverty, hunger, famine, ignorant masses driven by capitalistic greed, and the tirefire political cycle, LETR puts society on truthful display.
“Holy Gift” is a 10-minute peregrination, but the journey of this album warrants such a lengthy final thought. This is the cherry on top of an album filled with wildly calculated and meticulously arranged epics that continually build upon each subsequent track.
The Sum of Their Actions was recorded entirely at CJ’s home studio but achieves loftier heights than most bedroom producers ever do. The Sum of Their Actions is relistenable in all its full glory. The album’s dynamic soundscapes and textures create an eagerness to follow its intended order, and there are often bridges of tone and sound that merge the tracks, a little chef’s kiss to the track planning and mixing. All the tracks would make a fine addition to any emotional playlist to power through the day, whether as motivation for household chores or respite to relax and let the mellow angst flow over. For fans that have followed the duo CJ and Stieg, there are no disappointments in this newer, fuller sound. LETR achieves an extreme level of musicality, and listeners will find deeper political and intelluctual meaning especially with second and third helpings.
MOW's Chief Playlist Weirdo & Weird Wiener Enthusiast with over two decades in the Oklahoma music scene as a venue operator, sound technician, Rock Camp instructor, and multi-instrumental artist.