Album of the Week: Car Seat Headrest – The Scholars
It’s been a while since we’ve heard a new studio album from indie rock stalwarts Car Seat Headrest. Their last release, Making A Door Less Open (2020), followed the critical success of Twin Fantasy, Teens of Denial, and Teens of Style, albums that established Will Toledo’s band as one of the most lyrically sharp, emotionally raw, and creatively restless of their generation.
Now, they’re back with The Scholars, a full-blown college-set rock opera, a phrase that probably raised more than a few eyebrows and rolled a few eyes. The proposition of a “rock opera” conjures a very specific image, often one of bloated theatrics and overindulgence. But at the same time, any band willing to tackle a concept-heavy, narrative-driven album deserves credit, especially when it feels like a natural evolution of their sound. And while few popular indie guitar bands attempt something this ambitious these days, Car Seat Headrest don’t let that deter them.
Set in the fictional university of Parnassus, The Scholars follows the interconnected lives of students and staff on campus. It’s an expansive, strange, deeply emotional journey, at times chaotic, often tender, and constantly interesting.
The album opens with the anthemic CCF (I’m Gonna Stay With You), which channels the heartland rock of Tom Petty and Springsteen, alongside modern equivalents like The War on Drugs. Sung from the perspective of characters Chanticleer and Beolco, it captures the thrill of leaping into the unknown, urgent, driven, and bold. Devereaux follows with a chugging, propulsive rhythm and singalong chorus, while lead single The Catastrophe raises the stakes even higher. It’s wild and unpredictable, evoking something like The Replacements writing Born to Run. The quieter moments are just as strong. Lady Gay Approximately is a folky, introspective track, with a clear nod to Dylan in the title, showcasing Toledo’s lyrical and emotional depth.
But it’s in the second half where the album fully embraces its operatic ambition. Gethsemane, clocking in at 10 minutes, is a sprawling, shape-shifting epic. It begins with a hypnotic organ motif, possibly a nod to Pete Townshend’s avant-garde Terry Riley influences, and shifts through stoner rock, psychedelic freakouts, and explosive climaxes. It is as much a journey as a song, and it justifies the five-year wait.
If you think that’s the peak, Reality follows with an 11-minute emotional gut punch, evoking everything from Beck’s Sea Change to ’80s-era Pink Floyd. It’s grandiose, yes, but also one of the album’s most moving pieces. Then there’s Planet Desperation, possibly the darkest and most theatrical moment on the album. It opens like a haunted Scott Walker vignette and builds into a swirl of psych-rock chaos and piano-driven beauty.
The Scholars shares DNA with the recent prog-infused experiments of Thee Oh Sees or King Gizzard, but Car Seat Headrest’s approach feels more literary, more sincere. Rather than being rooted in a heavy metal foundation, its likeness to classic rock gives it a bigger emotional heart.
Critics may call The Scholars self-indulgent. And yeah, rock operas are inherently indulgent, but that misses the point. This is an ambitious, emotionally charged rock opera, rich in narrative and sincerity, that finds Car Seat Headrest pushing beyond familiar indie confines. The band haven’t followed trends, they’ve taken a massive creative swing and actually landed it.
