The Oakland-based singer-songwriter Madeline Kenney says in a press statement that she spent a lot of time talking to friends about "the theme of the idiot" while writing her new album Sucker's Lunch.
There's a hint of self-deprecation to that — especially considering the critical acclaim that Kenney garnered for her Toro y Moi-produced debut Night Night at the First Landing in 2017 and its strong 2018 follow-up Perfect Shapes.
But as the first single from Sucker's Lunch shows, Kenney is more interested in cyclical compulsion than straightforward faceplants.
On "Sucker" — a deft and graceful song, premiering above, featuring vocals from Lambchop's Kurt Wagner — Kenney sings about persevering in spite of other peoples' doubts, losing the