Adam Weiner
responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by reverting to his inner hustler. Housebound, he maintained his connection to his audience through his virtual concerts called
Tough Cookies
, which soon expanded into an interview show with other musicians.
kept
Weiner
afloat during the release of
Private Lives
, a personal and political record that was both in line and out of step with a lockdown-weary audience in 2020, with a collection of highlights buying him time in 2021 as he completed the material that became
Low Cut Connie
's 2023 album,
Art Dealers
. There is a pent-up energy simmering through
that distinguishes it from
, but it would be a mistake to think of this as a return to the grimy boogie of
Hi Honey
: there's too much water under the bridge to not move forward. What gives
its considerable power is how
threads a revived rock muscle with the introspection of
. If anything, he is even more unguarded here than he was on
, pushing his heritage to the forefront on "King of the Jews" in a fashion that feels invigoratingly defiant in 2023. "King of the Jews" is part of a tapestry of songs loosely inspired by
's time cutting his teeth as a piano player in gay bars in New York, a period he conveys through character portraits, scenery sketches, and short stories. While he doesn't skimp on boogie and sleaze -- indeed, there's a cut called "Sleaze Me On," and "Whips and Chains" is piledriving after-hours R&B --
makes sure
delves deeper into the groove, lending a lived-in quality that matches the melancholy of the record's ballads. What ties the two sides of the spectrum together is
's empathy. Releasing an album rooted in LBGTQ+ culture is an understated but clear sign of solidarity made all the more resonant because
hits the heart, head, and groin with equal force. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine