I don’t recall precisely how I learned of Algebra Suicide. I know it was post-COVID, but I don’t know if I read something that made me want to give them a listen, or if they popped up unexpectedly on a Spotify playlist. But either way I remember being speechless the first time I heard one of their songs, Lydia Tomkiw’s poetry half-spoken, half-sung as she matter-of-factly talked about death.
Normally lyrics do not reach out and grab me, especially not the first few times I hear a song. I’ve come to realize over the last few years that I listen differently than most people. I don’t say this to seem in any way special – I don’t have synesthesia, nor am I in any way knowledgeable about music theory or composition. In fact I think the reason is more mundane. Back in grade school when we learned about syllables, our teacher had us clap our hands as a way to mark the individual syllables in words. Rest(clap)-au(clap)-rant(clap)… Li(clap)-bra(clap)-ry(clap)… and I internalized this so much that even now, 40+ years later, I still do it in my head sometimes. As a result song lyrics present to me as sounds more so than words. I think this even explains in part why I have no sense of musical beat/timing – I unconsciously find myself taping my hands to the cadence of the vocals instead of the actual beat. This may be why I’m a terrible dancer. But on a positive note, unlike most people I know, listening to songs sung in languages I don’t know (which, to be frank, is all of them other than English…) isn’t challenging in the slightest, since my ear is more focused on how the words sound than what they mean.
ANYWAY… back to Algebra Suicide. I can’t give you any new insights into the band or their poet of a lead singer, but at the most basic level the band was comprised of Tomkiw and her husband Don Hedeker. Based in Chicago, Tomkiw had some moderate success in academic poetry circles and the band itself bubbled under a bit, particularly in Europe, though that quickly faded and the couple divorced in 1993. Tomkiw, who struggled with alcohol, continued to attract attention within poetry circles for the rest of the decade, but eventually she faded from the scene and sadly passed away in 2007 at the too-young age of 48.
I was surprised to come across this first pressing of Algebra Suicide’s sophomore album The Secret Like Crazy yesterday at a local shop. They knew what they had, as was evidenced by the price, and if I’m being honest I was kind of looking for a reason to NOT buy it. But the jacket was intact, as was the lyric sheet/sleeve, and the vinyl itself was pristine, so… how could I not buy it? I know many of you, my fellow vinyl heads, can relate.
The Secret Like Crazy opens with Algebra Suicide’s most well-known song, “Little Dead Bodies”, which was originally released as a 7″ in 1986. Tomkiw speaks of death in a matter-of-fact way that is a bit jarring, sharing some personal experiences as well as waxing philosophical, her delivery a mix of mild disdain and ennui. This is a sharp contrast with the more playful “Gist” which sees her following the cadence of the synth, up-down, up-down, up-down, verses pausing mid-sentence before continuing as if they had never stopped. Musically Hedeker keeps things sparse and simple, providing something Tomkiw can anchor to (if she so chooses) with basic synth beats and guitar chords. While the music is often soothing and flowing I can’t passively listen to The Secret Like Crazy, because as soon as Tomkiw appears she captures every ounce of attention I can muster, forcing me to hear her words as words, and that’s probably why I enjoy it so much.
For those who are interested, there is an Algebra Suicide Bandcamp page HERE. Unfortunately it looks like the compilation record that was on offer is now sold out, but you can give them a listen and purchase via download. Tomkiw’s poetry has also been collected in book form entitled simply Lydia Tomkiw Poems which can be found on the publisher’s webpage HERE.