Philly’s Alan Ens says “screw Lyme disease,” releases self-titled LP

Alan Ens is a new LP from the local musician of the same name, released last week on Bandcamp. We first got a taste of it when The Deli premiered album opener “Dead End Got Plumbing” in the spring, a barreling punk song that breaks into a super catchy chorus.

What follows on the record is an eclectic trip through Ens’ experiences. The songs navigate a rollercoaster of vibes, from the high octane energy of the opener to the finger-picked acoustic “Eternal Curse” and the angular, mathy “Pressure Washer.” Weezer comes through on “Flaccid,” while album closer “More Than Piss” erupts into a brief Zappa-esque noodling interlude.

To fill out the LP, Ens called in friends Josh Machiz on bass (TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb) and Charlie Heim on drums (Johnny Showcase and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret). Ens himself has played with several other local projects, including The Sea Around Us, Ricardo Lagomasino’s trio and Arrah Fisher.

As Alan told us over email, the release timing has been a bit tricky. He’s been sidelined for the last several months while dealing with Lyme disease, a circumstance that has made playing live a near impossibility. Ens seems to be taking the disease in stride, though, even using images from an MRI as the album art and planning to give the album a proper celebration when his health improves. He advises “don’t get bit by a tick.”

As we wish him a speedy recovery, listen to Alan Ens below and download album on Bandcamp.