Milwaukee-based alternative songwriter/illustrator/podcaster Brett Newski has released a soundtrack to his book, It's Hard To Be A Person, which looks at ways of defeating anxiety, surviving the world, and having more fun. Blending humour with mental health struggles, Newski makes fun of his own anxieties by offering mental health boosts in the book. The idea for It's Hard to be a Person came about several years ago, after Brett Newski posted a few silly drawings making fun of his own anxiety and depression. The response to them was warmer than anticipated, and fans kept asking for more...

It's Hard to be a Person is an interesting concept. This release is the accompanying soundtrack to Brett Newski's book of the same name. The book, and soundtrack focus on Newski's battles with mental health.

Talking about the project, Newski says: "Humour has always been a primary mode of therapy for me. I still make fun of my own anxiety and 'depresh' as catharsis. I sing about it on tour, talk about it on my podcast, and draw pictures of it here in this book. Putting my formerly-private-feelings out into the world has been tremendous therapy for me, and I wish I would’ve done it sooner. Over the span of many years, I’ve been illustrating the 'hacks,' 'strategies,' or 'exercises' that have worked best for me in combating the struggles in my head. More than anything I want this book to be useful for people. I’m not a doctor, just a person who spends too much time in my head. The objective of It’s Hard to Be a Person is not to give unsolicited advice, but to hopefully save you some headaches on the long n’ winding road of life in your brain."

There's a punky rock vibe to the album which gives it a forceful and confident attitude. Overall this is an upbeat and brave venture.

Once again, like 2020's Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down, you could be forgiven for thinking that Newski is short changing his fans. This is another album that feels more like an EP (the 8 tracks come in at 21 min, 41 sec) but thankfully its content is well above average. Those that have bought the book will get a deeper look into Newski's process by listening to this.

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Nick Smithson