Random Person is the second studio album by Burner Herzog, the recording project of American musician Jasper Leach. It was released on October 6, 2023, by Take a Turn Records. The album was produced, engineered, and mixed by Martin Bisi at his BC Studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn, and mastered by Jack Shirley at Atomic Garden East in Oakland, California.[1]
| Random Person | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 6, 2023 | |||
| Recorded | November 2021 – April 2022 | |||
| Studio | BC Studio, Gowanus, Brooklyn | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Label | Take a Turn Records | |||
| Producer | Martin Bisi | |||
| Burner Herzog chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and recording
editRandom Person is the first Burner Herzog release recorded after Leach's relocation from the San Francisco Bay Area to New York City. In interviews, Leach has cited the geography of his new home, including Prospect Park, the Maspeth UPS depot, and East Williamsburg, as inspiration for the album's lyrics.[2] Leach also referenced G. I. Gurdjieff's Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson as a thematic influence on the album.[3]
Recording took place at BC Studio in Gowanus between November 2021 and April 2022 with producer Martin Bisi, known for his work with Sonic Youth, Swans, and John Zorn.[4][5] The album features guest contributions from trombonist Peter Zummo on the track "Bliss of Love," as well as backing vocals from Alison Niedbalski.[3] Cover photography is by Samantha Veneros, with cover design by Loren Crosier.[1]
Reception
editIn a long-form essay for RIFF Magazine's "Professor Music" column, critic David Gill described the album as "lonesome jukebox rock and roll" and characterized it as the work that "got me through some rough months" in 2023.[6] Gill singled out the pedal steel guitar on "Memo to Persephone" and described "Metric Halo" as the album's "grunge epic."[6] New Noise Magazine premiered the music video for "Metric Halo" in September 2023, calling Random Person "the best work of Leach to date."[2]
Tour
editTrack listing
editAll tracks written by Jasper Leach (as Burner Herzog), except where noted.[1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lucky Girl" | 2:54 | |
| 2. | "Sometimes It's Hard to Break Free" | 3:28 | |
| 3. | "Nobody Sees Me Like You Do" | Yoko Ono | 3:32 |
| 4. | "The Pure of Heart (Are the First to Go)" | 3:47 | |
| 5. | "Memo to Persephone" | 4:11 | |
| 6. | "I Wanna Make You Happy" | 2:43 | |
| 7. | "Patient Zero" | 3:35 | |
| 8. | "Random Person" | Nick Freundlich, Burner Herzog, Michael Vattuone, and Sam Weiss | 4:39 |
| 9. | "Bliss of Love" | 5:11 | |
| 10. | "(Somewhere Inside A) Metric Halo" | 3:28 |
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the album's Bandcamp release page.[1]
- Jasper Leach – songwriting, vocals, multiple instruments
- Nick Freundlich – bass, backing vocals
- Sam Weiss – lead guitar, acoustic, backing vocals
- Michael Vattuone – drums, percussion, synth, backing vocals
- Alison Niedbalski – synth, piano, backing vocals
- Martin Bisi – producer, engineer, mixing
- Jack Shirley – mastering (at Atomic Garden East, Oakland)
- Peter Zummo – trombone (on "Bliss of Love")
- Samantha Veneros – cover photography
- Loren Crosier – cover design
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 "Random Person, by Burner Herzog". Bandcamp. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Video Premiere: Burner Herzog – 'Metric Halo'". New Noise Magazine. September 28, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Getting to know: Burner Herzog". Music Love Music. February 27, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Bisi, Martin. "Martin Bisi's Personal Discography". martinbisi.com. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Martin Bisi". Discogs. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- 1 2 Gill, David (2023). "Burner Herzog's 'Random Person,' the album that saved me". RIFF Magazine. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
External links
edit- Random Person on Bandcamp