How Not To Drown by ROTHSTEIN: Album Review

by Gabe Finch September 22, 2023

September 22, 2023

How Not To Drown by ROTHSTEIN: Album Review

Let’s dive into Rothstein’s latest musical offering, the 13-track album “How Not To Drown.” This highly-anticipated release, produced entirely by Rothstein himself and Ivan Jackson from Brasstracks, is a genre-blending masterpiece that takes us through the strange corridors of the human condition. With a slew of soul-tinged pop singles and visuals leading up to its release, including “small talk,” “chokehold,” “don’t look down,” “pushover,” and the recent “carolina,” Rothstein has set the stage for something truly special.

The album is teeming with nautical imagery, massive pop hooks, and melodic poetry. It’s a lush, sexy, and dark-pop odyssey that’s both deeply personal and universally relatable. Rothstein describes this work as “pretty and evil in equal measure,” and it’s evident that he’s poured a lifetime’s worth of internal struggles into it.

One of the intriguing aspects of “How Not To Drown” is Rothstein’s exploration of darkness and beauty. He believes that life is a mix of these two elements, and he lays them bare in his music. As he puts it, “Darkness is like that; people do bad things because doing them feels good, and many of this record’s most gut-wrenching moments feel so good it’s easy not to notice what I’m saying. The misery, cynicism, and general nastiness are coated in very shiny paint, and that’s just the way I like it.”

The album’s standout track, “don’t look down,” encourages us to live life to the fullest, not overthinking every step, and embracing the unpredictable nature of existence. It’s a fitting anthem for an album that explores the highs and lows of life with equal intensity.