CR and the Nones - "The Back Door"

Words by Zach Romano.

Jersey City’s C.R. and the Nones shared their second single, “The Back Door,” and a gorgeous accompanying video yesterday. It’s the latest track from their forthcoming debut album, Living In Fear, which is set for release on November 6th.

With wistful interplay between acoustic and electric guitars, starry-eyed vocals, and steady, restrained drums, “The Back Door” recalls the best of the reverb and jangle-heavy Americana purveyed by bands like The War on Drugs and fellow New Jerseyans Real Estate. Frontman and songwriter Chris Gennone’s arrangements manage to be simultaneously airy and enveloping, and with mixing help enlisted from War on Drugs-collaborator Jeff Zielgler, “The Back Door” absolutely beams.  

Gennone’s lyrics pithily tell a familiar but arresting story of downtrodden hopefulness: “I’ve sucked it up for so long now, I can’t help but cry… When the streaks are shooting stars, I’ll be damned if I don’t catch one of them.” Listening to “The Back Door” feels a bit like a conversation with that friend from the bar who is always talking about his big plans to leave and do something amazing but is at the same corner seat where you left him when you show up next. Gennone’s delivery could not be more heartfelt, and when he holds the word “cry” until his voice gives out,  it’s tough not to do so yourself.

The accompanying video interposes surreal shots of undersea exploration with sepia scenes of friends hanging out, and the images heighten the song’s already unabashed sense of nostalgia. The cuts seem to contrast at first, but in a world where making music with a few friends in someone’s bedroom seems as distant and dreamlike as a cloud of baby squid or bioluminescent jellyfish, they complement each other very well indeed.

Watch the video below and add “The Back Door” to your fall playlists on Spotify. You can also pre-order Living In Fear on limited edition cassette via Favorite Friend Records.