One could say that L.E.O. is a 21st century, alt-pop version of the Traveli… Read Full Bio ↴One could say that L.E.O. is a 21st century, alt-pop version of the Traveling Wilburys, filtering the spirit of ELO and like-minded groups through a modern, and more than a little subversive, sensibility. The performers use the same sort of distance-bridging technology as the Postal Service did on its groundbreaking Give Up; in fact, the L.E.O.-ers were lucky enough to have even more programs and bandwidth at their disposal. Many parts of this album were recorded remotely by the individual musicians and bounced back and forth via computer. As Bleu explains, "that was another big idea behind the project: almost everybody involved is a producer and has a home studio set-up and loves other producers. I basically executive- produced the album; everyone else produced their own parts. That was one of my goals, to get all these producers and let them do their thing and see what happens."

Alpacas Orgling is an ingeniously arranged evocation of the orchestral pop-rock of the mid-seventies, a sound built for the eclectic AM-radio pop charts of the time, but also cool enough to resonate for years on the FM dial. It's a style epitomized by the sweeping productions of the Electric Light Orchestra, which created a technologically enhanced wall of sound as grand and wonderful as Phil Spector's "teenage symphonies" of the mid-sixties. This is no mere homage to an earlier era, however, simply compiling familiar songs from back in the day. Rather, all of these lush, vocal-stacked and hook-packed tunes are originals, composed by a collective of pop-obsessed, genre-jumping contemporary musicians.

Among the collaborators assembled here as L.E.O. are vocalist Andy Sturmer, from nineties power pop-icon Jellyfish; singer-guitarist Mike Viola, formerly of the Candy Butchers and producer of the Oscar-nominated movie theme "That Thing You Do!"; multi-platinum producer John Fields; Papas Fritas founder/producer Tony Goddess; Matt Mahaffey of the acclaimed one-man-band Self; Jason Scheff, vocalist and bassist for the legendary band Chicago; singer-songwriter Paula Kelley; Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman; and even the Hanson brothers. This wildly eclectic crew was brought together by Boston pop auteur Bleu (William James McAuley III), who whimsically decided to embark on this unique project four years ago and managed to cajole his many far-flung pals to join him for the ride.

Every name on the album credits for Alpacas Orgling makes for great googling. The interconnections among these players suggest there's a thriving, parallel pop universe in which artists like Bleu make music that's both serious-minded and light-hearted, reclaiming familiar sounds from pop's past to ensure its healthy future. It's a place just beyond the mainstream, but not that hard to find. Alpacas Orgling is all the more compelling because these relatively unsung pop heroes have managed to effortlessly recreate, in clever and cheap do-it-yourself fashion, an expensive and much-labored-over studio sound. Along the way, L.E.O. gives their work emotional depth by injecting it with romance, wit and yearning. Alpacas Orgling is pop music designed for an instant of pleasure, yet secretly built to last.

Nothing
L.E.O. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I got nothin' for you, well, you can look under my rug
I got no smack for you, you're entranced from that drug
I got no tears for you, I got nothin' to worry about
I got no fear for you no, no, no, my guns it just lay around

Well, my body is achin' inside out and my nose is always cold
Am I still twenty-four or am I starting to grow old? Am I growin' old?
Suicide is just a state of mind, not for me, I've got places to hide

And day to day, nights are wicked, stealin' is my way of life
I got to pay my bills today where'd I leave my knife

Say, no, no, no, no

I've got nothin' for you
I've got nothin' for you

I've got nothin' for you
...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to L.E.O.'s song "Nothing" seem to be about a person who is struggling with addiction, depression, and a life of crime. The first verse suggests that the singer has nothing to offer someone else, and that they are likely hiding some unpleasant realities under the surface. The second verse is much more introspective, as the singer reflects on their own physical and mental state, wondering if they are starting to show signs of age, and acknowledging that suicide is only a fleeting thought. The final line of that verse suggests that the singer lives a life of crime, stealing to get by but trying to avoid the ultimate consequences.

The chorus, "I've got nothin' for you," seems to be a statement of resignation or defeat. The singer recognizes that they have little to offer others, and perhaps feel that they have nothing positive to contribute to the world around them. The repetition of this line further reinforces this feeling of emptiness and lack of purpose.

Overall, the song portrays a bleak and desolate picture of the singer's life, where they are trapped in a cycle of addiction, depression, and criminal behavior. The lyrics suggest that the singer has lost hope and has resigned themselves to their current state of being.

Line by Line Meaning

I got nothin' for you, well, you can look under my rug
I don't have anything to offer you, you can search through my possessions

I got no smack for you, you're entranced from that drug
I don't have any drugs to give you, you're already mesmerized by substance abuse

I got no tears for you, I got nothin' to worry about
I don't have any sympathy for you, I have no reason to be anxious

I got no fear for you no, no, no, my guns it just lay around
I don't fear you at all, my guns are just useless objects lying around

Well, my body is achin' inside out and my nose is always cold
I am experiencing extreme physical discomfort and constant cold-like symptoms

Am I still twenty-four or am I starting to grow old? Am I growin' old?
I am uncertain about my age, and questioning if I am already aging

Suicide is just a state of mind, not for me, I've got places to hide
I believe suicide is just a mental state, but I'm not considering it because I have places to hide

And day to day, nights are wicked, stealin' is my way of life
Every day and night is difficult, and I resort to stealing to survive

I got to pay my bills today where'd I leave my knife
I have to pay my bills today but I can't remember where I left my knife

Say, no, no, no, no
The artist is insisting on saying 'no', possibly in response to someone asking for something

I've got nothin' for you
The singer is emphasizing that they truly have nothing to offer

I've got nothin' for you
The artist repeats their previous statement for emphasis

I've got nothin' for you
The singer is hammering in the fact that they do not have anything to give or offer

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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