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The Great American Novel is a concept album about how Black genius, specifically my own, goes ignored, is relentlessly contested, or just gets completely snuffed out before it can flourish,Inch says vocalist Erik Garlington (he/him). InchThis record is a concept album that's meant to read like a book; every song is a chapter following the protagonist through their 20s. Imagine a queer, Black Holden Caufield-type coming up in the 2010s.InchThe result is an album that is both lyrically and musically heavy, the former something fans have come to expect from Garlington's unflinchingly honest lyrical content, but the latter something that's refreshingly new. Channeling the heavier music he listened to during his adolescence-from post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In to progressive metal band System of a Down-Garlington and the rest of Proper.-bassist Natasha Johnson (she/her) and drummer Elijah Watson (he/they)-push themselves in ways they haven't before, culminating in an ambitious project that showcases the new sonic territory the band is heading in.Produced and recorded by Bartees Strange and mixed and mastered by Brian DiMeglio, The Great American Novel clocks in at fifteen tracks including InchHuerta,Inch which explores Garlington's Mexican heritage, and InchRed, White and Blue,Inch a commentary on the imbalance between the United States' everyday citizens and elite class. The songs reflect the overall tone of The Great American Novel abrasive, powerful, and beautifully poignant.InchAt the end of the day, what I wanted to do with this record is take Proper. In a direction that would surprise people on first listen, but end up making complete sense on the second or third listen. I think a lot of bands tend to go more pop but I wanted to make something both challenging and undeniably catchy,Inch Garlington said. InchIt all goes back to Black genius and how it's ingested
