I kinda take it for granted that my short list of favorite musicians will continue to regularly churn out records that meet or exceed previous levels of high quality.
On successive Fridays in the month of April, Woods and Kevin Morby each released separate amazing full-length recordings that have brought great joy and emotional attachment during repeated listens via the apartment speakers.
The Morby record is incredible. I expected it would be good after Morby tipped off what was to come via early release of the record’s second track “I Have Been to the Mountain” and a subsequent sit-down gig on a cold February night in Manhattan with the LP’s producer Sam Cohen and Eric Johnson of the Fruit Bats.
Cohen’s involvement on Singing Saw (Morby’s third full-length as a solo artist) adds major texture to the sound. His bass plucks on the record’s opening cut combined with a beautiful guitar sound and John Andrews on the saw set a tone that what’s to come is serious. We already knew Morby could write great rock and roll songs that stood well on their own but this record reveals a conscientious embrace of contributions from talented acquaintances to create something more ambitious.
It totally works. And even though the record relies on sound-makers who won’t realistically be able to join him on the road, the lack of gimmickry and over-done production make it entirely feasible that all of the songs can stay in the Morby playbook on tour. I suppose Dorothy won’t be the same without Marco Benevento tickling the ivories but I’d imagine it’ll still sound good at the gig minus piano.
My favorite song on the record is Destroyer. To the listener, it’s a fun number. Not sure if it was the same feeling as it came to be for the songwriter but it resonated with me given the light-headed feeling I got during the song’s consideration of bearings lost through disappearance of reliable faces.
Black Flowers starts like a Beatles song – then briefly sounds like a Babies song – and then becomes what it is. Morby references winged horses in a way that suggest life has taken on new shape on his end, more serious and challenging.
Using the title track as an expansive, slow-to-build expression of the heart of the matter is a total Woods move – and it’s one Morby uses here with the 7-minute plus Saw. He did it with Harlem River – and there are times during Saw that you feel like you’re back on that same river – until Justin’s rim shots and K-Morb’s jams make it a different tributary. Still not L-A sounding for sure. Can’t wait to hear this one live.
Morby dedicates the record to his girlfriend Gia Bahm. The LP cover is a fold out with all the lyrics printed on the inside. The cover is pretty cool. It’s Morby standing on a dark hillside overlooking the night lights of Los Angeles.
The Woods record came out April 8 – one week ahead of Singing Saw. It’s LP #9 for Jeremy, Jarvis and company, It also folds out and features an optimistic looking skull head on the cover. I’m assuming it’s Jeremy’s art work on all panels. The record was made at Thump near the Greenpoint Ave G stop.
Consistent with Earl’s earthly kaleidoscope, City Sun Eater in the River of Light focuses on the world from the perspective of someone without heavy burdens or agendas.
Hang It On Your Wall feels like a throwback Woods song and does seem to reference personal interaction. The number that follows is The Take which is a powerful, slowly-building Mo-townie killer that also allows for one-on-one human exchanges but without drama.
My favorite song by far on the record is Politics of Free. Aaron’s frenetic and wonderful pounce to start the number makes way for what becomes Jeremy’s beautiful reference to what is above and around us vs. what we deal with day-to-day: “Constellations in the summer sky – in a world of shit – let’s tune out.”
I’ll get to see Woods here on Saturday. Excited about that, obviously.
When Seb was here, I made it to two Brooklyn venues that I hadn’t been to before.
We joined my cousin Greg and his wife Clare for the Cian Nugent set at Alphaville on April 9.
Nugent was solid and I liked the venue. Endless Boogie headlined with Brad Truax on bass. Steve Gunn was in the audience.
And then the following Saturday, me and Seb saw the Boston band Fucko at Gold Sounds (also in Bushwick). I’m not sure Gold Sounds will survive the competitive landscape given their organizational lapses but Fucko is a great band despite the burden of their name. They only played 15 minutes.
Seb saw a bunch of bands here during his two week visit from France and wondered why the short set has become a trend here. I didn’t have a good answer for him.