“Sad music for assholes.” Mr. Charisma says it themselves, and somehow that might be the most accurate description of Some People you’ll hear all year.
There is no shortage of music about how messed up the world can be. What makes Some People different is the way Mr. Charisma looks directly at that darkness without trying to make it pretty. The new EP from Daniel Austin and Chris Hatfield is bleak, honest, sometimes funny, and surprisingly comforting. It is music for people who have looked around at modern life and thought, “Is everyone else seeing this too?” The Houston duo brings decades of experience from the hardcore scene into a completely different setting. Austin handles guitar, arrangements, backing vocals, recording, mixing, and mastering, while Hatfield takes the lead on vocals. Their history in bands such as Die Young and Will To Live is important, but Some People does not sound like a hardcore record stripped down. Instead, it draws from gothic folk, classic songwriting, outlaw country, and dark Americana. Hatfield’s deep baritone gives the songs a worn-in quality. His voice carries the weight of someone telling you a story late at night, without pretending there is always a happy ending. Austin’s guitar work provides the perfect setting for those stories. The arrangements are simple, but there is plenty of atmosphere in them.
“What Matters Most” is one of the EP’s sharpest moments. The song takes aim at political performance and the kind of people who seem more interested in being seen than actually changing anything. There is humor in the writing, but there is also frustration underneath it. Mr. Charisma knows when to make a point without shouting it. Their cover of Motörhead’s “God Was Never on Your Side” fits naturally into the project. The song’s criticism of religious hypocrisy becomes another piece of the EP’s larger picture. Mr. Charisma does not treat the subject like a debate. They simply present the contradiction and let it sit there. “You Better Win” takes a darker turn. It looks at conflict and survival in a way that feels cold and realistic. There is no romantic version of warfare here. The message is simple: when the stakes are high, losing is not an option. That gives the song an unexpected motivational edge beneath its grim outlook.
What holds the EP together is its honesty. Some People is not trying to convince listeners that everything will work out. Instead, it offers something arguably more useful: recognition. Sometimes knowing that someone else sees the same ugliness, absurdity, loneliness, and dysfunction can make you feel a little less alone. The DIY nature of the recording adds to that feeling. Everything was recorded in the duo’s homes, with Austin handling the entire production process. There is no massive studio budget hiding behind these songs. The project shows what can happen when experienced musicians have a clear idea of what they want and refuse to wait for perfect conditions. Mr. Charisma also deserves credit for not overcomplicating the music. The melodies are catchy. The guitar work leaves space for the vocals. The lyrics remain the center of attention. That simplicity makes the darker themes easier to absorb. Following their Evil in This World EP, Some People feels like another step toward defining what Mr. Charisma is becoming. Austin and Hatfield have taken the attitude and honesty of their hardcore backgrounds and placed them inside a more reflective sound. Some People will not cheer you up in the traditional sense. That is not its job. Instead, it sits beside you in the dark and says, “Yeah, we see it too.” Sometimes that is exactly the kind of music people need.
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