Swearing At Motorists While Laughing The Joker Tells The Truth A Recordings LTD [2014]
Album Review: If you know your Dayton, Ohio indie folklore, then Swearing At Motorists should already be on your radar. The band shares a family tree with Guided By Voices and once called the Gem City home. In recent years, though, frontman Dave Doughman has been based in Hamburg, Germany. After the birth of his son in 2007 led to a long break—and the passing of friend Jason Molina reignited his creative spark—Swearing At Motorists return in 2014 with While Laughing, The Joker Tells The Truth, a full-length set of brand-new material.
From the jump, it feels like they never left. The 35-second opener “I Don’t Need Anyone” is a classic Swearing At Motorists moment—simple, heartfelt, and gone before you know it. It sets up “Groundhog Day (Damn The Piper),” a gritty, hook-filled track driven by layered vocals and straight-ahead drumming. That’s always been their secret weapon: short, punchy songs with Guided By Voices-style immediacy, but stripped down to the bare essentials. You can almost picture two guys in a smoky dive bar playing through the whole record.
The acoustic-driven “17th Last Cigarette (Thinkin’ Bout Drinkin’)” shows Doughman’s knack for repetition that sticks, while “Academy Award for Best in a Supporting Role” cranks up the volume with a ripping electric riff—even if it only lasts a minute. On “Great Actress,” the sound expands into something larger and more textured than the band’s usual fare, hinting at real growth without losing their lo-fi charm.
While Laughing, The Joker Tells The Truth is a solid return for Swearing At Motorists—one that rewards repeated listens. You don’t need to know their back catalog to get into it; the record’s honest songwriting and mix of tempos make it easy to connect with. After an eight-year break, it’s just good to have them back—and hopefully, this is only the start of another productive chapter.
Key Tracks: “Groundhog Day (Damn The Piper)” / “Great Actress” / “Academy Award for Best in a Supporting Role”
Artists With Similar Fire: Guided By Voices / Built To Spill / Marmoset
A lifelong fan of new music—spent the '90s working in a record store and producing alternative video shows. In the 2000s, that passion shifted online with blogging, diving headfirst into the indie scene and always on the lookout for the next great release. Still here, still listening, and still sharing the best of what’s new.
