Eric Slick has stood as the enduring drummer for the Philadelphia indie outfit Dr. Dog, and offstage he has built a wide-ranging history of backing other artists both in the studio and in live settings — from Taylor Swift on her 2021 collaboration with Maren Morris, “You All Over Me,” to work with Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman, and Wilco at the Sky Blue Sky festival earlier this year. Slick, a name that feels especially fitting, also releases solo records, most recently 2024’s New Age Rage. In March 2027, he will return with Bounce House, his newest solo LP.
What motivates announcements for albums not due for release for another half year? It puzzles me. I don’t fully understand it. There must be a reason, though. Liars just did it, and now Eric Slick is doing the same. The promotional material frames Bounce House as a project Slick self-produced at his Nashville studio, drawing inspiration from a broad mix: Beastie Boys, Peter Gabriel, ’70s no wave, The Pop Group, and Roxy Music. That is quite a spectrum!
Bounce House‘s lead single, “Mannequin,” opens as idiosyncratic synthpop, with big melodic hooks and fuzzed-out guitars crashing in at the chorus. Tidal’s credits credit Slick as a co-writer alongside Andy Molholt of Speedy Ortiz and Kyle Ryan, who has collaborated with Kasey Musgraves and Natalie Prass. Slick’s Instagram suggests it also features Molly Martin and Jamie Lidell. Check out the appealingly homemade “Mannequin” video and the Bounce House tracklist below.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Normal Behavior”
02 “Mannequin”
03 “Glass Half Empty”
04 “Talking Too Much”
05 “Growing Up”
06 “Hold U Back”
07 “After Hours (Potential Castles)”
08 “Marvelous Thunder”
09 “Animal Magnetism”
10 “Misdirection Weapon”
11 “Sleight Of Hand”
12 “Ratboy III: The Rat Race”
Bounce House is out 3/5 on Slick Records/Thirty Tigers.
