ROUTES & BRANCHES
featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
May 12, 2019
Scott Foley, purveyor of edge
At the community radio station for which I once worked, I would ask new volunteers to identify their 'edge'. Even if you were building a program on folk or easy listening or Grateful Dead (gods forbid), you needed to find your edge, that departure that set you apart from all other shows of that type. This strategy seldom worked, and volunteer after volunteer arrived at the studios with their box of Tim O'Brien or Richard Thompson records. It was just as important to locate their 'pocket', a magical medium that defines your program.
Edge and pocket - I pepper my reviews liberally with those words, recognizing that they apply just as aptly to the music that resonates with me. See, for instance, Massy Ferguson from the Seattle area. Fronted by singer-bassist Ethan Anderson and singer-guitarist Adam Monda, they've been honing their edge for more than a decade, shooting out sparks like 2010's Hard Water, Victory & Ruins from 2013 and 2016's excellent Run It Right Into the Wall. Their new CD, Great Divides is slotted for release this week, following the band as they continue to redefine their pocket.
While we are fond of the term "alt.country", it doesn't carry much meaning these days. Folks tend to apply it to any roots-flavored music that features electric instrumentation. But there was a time when this was not the case, when outfits like Ringenberg & the Scorchers, Uncle Tupelo, Bottle Rockets or Old 97s firmly defined the genre. Massy Ferguson's earlier releases held tighter to these party lines, betraying more twang 'n jangle, employing more pedal steel and coming across like a close relative of Son Volt on songs like "Long Time No See" or "Hard Way" (with Zoe Muth). But with Run It Right Into the Wall, the band sought a leaner, harder vibe that sounded more like Athens, GA than Nashville. Anderson's focus seemed to sharpen, with stronger writing and a more confident commitment to their edge on "Gallipoli" or "Firewater".
That process of re-entrenchment realizes its promise on Great Divides. Throughout their run, Massy Ferguson have stayed true to the heart of their sound, built firmly on Anderson's vocals and Monda's fiery guitars. "Maybe the Gods" simply sounds more contemporary, more relevant to today's music and less beholden to a retro target. Ethan Anderson is a worthy vocalist, his energy and commitment challenging the track's pounding percussion for supremacy, complimented by Seattle's indie-soul diva Adra Boo. Adam Monda's guitars are both primal and melodic on "They Want That Sound", the record's most driving track.
Massy Ferguson stride into new territory with "Momma's in the Backseat", an evocative story song featuring Anderson's spoken verses: Made it back home, and Mom was waiting up / Always waiting up, light on, book in hand / Smoking from a pack of Merits / I told her about the fight / But what I wanted to do was wrap myself in that old Star Wars blanket, go to sleep in my bed / But I didn't say that at the time. "Drop An Atom Bomb On Me" takes a turn towards more melodic pop with prominent keys and a sharp rhythmic hook.
Even in light of these somewhat updated elements, much of the band's appeal remains in their roots which spring from guitar-fueled rock with a certain 80s touch. As drums kick "Can't Remember" into gear, Massy Ferguson sounds like few other contemporary acts. This doesn't mean they deserve to be filed as a tribute band, but rather recognized as one of the few talents who have successfully preserved the lineage of that tradition while reinterpreting it in service of an updated sound. The guitars echo and reverb throughout an album highlight "Rerun", atop a subtle bed of synth a'la Sons of Bill. Massy Ferguson have toured widely in the past decade, though it's baffling how a sound that impresses critics and pleases audiences has avoided more widespread attention. Great Divides deserves to bridge that popular gap, and makes some substantial strides that might merit Anderson and Moda greater coverage. It's a terrific sounding collection that stays true to their pocket while assuring an alt.edge that sets the stage for subsequent projects.
- Felice Brothers, "Jack Reminiscing" Undress (Yep Roc, 19)
- Craig Finn, "Implications" I Need a New War (Partisan, 19)
- Devil Makes Three, "Old Number Seven (live)" Live at Red Rocks (Kahn, 19)
- Ryan Culwell, "Never Gonna Cry" Flatlands (Lightning Rod, 15)
- Buddy & Julie Miller, "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" Breakdown on 20th Ave. South (New West, Jun 21)
- Justin Townes Earle, "Saint of Lost Causes" Saint of Lost Causes (New West, May 24)
- Erika Wennerstrom, "I'll Be Here in the Morning" Tribute to Townes Van Zandt (Partisan, 19)
- Chris Staples, "Everybody Said" Holy Moly (Barsuk, Jun 28) D
- Johnathan Rice, "Millions of Miles (feat. Courtney Marie Andrews)" Long Game (Mano Walker, May 10)
- Kevin Morby, "Oh My God" Oh My God (Dead Oceans, 19)
- TK & Holy Know-Nothings, "Hard Times" Arguably OK (Mama Bird, May 24)
- Freakwater, "Great Potential" Dancing Under Water (Thrill Jockey, 91)
- Jimbo Mathus, "Incinerator" Incinerator (Big Legal Mess, 19)
- Indianola, "How Did I Get So Rock 'n Roll" Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (Indianola, 19) D
^ Massy Ferguson, "Maybe the Gods" Great Dividers (MF, May 17) D
- Reckless Kelly, "You Don't Have to Stay Forever (live)" Bulletproof Live (No Big Deal, Jun 21) D
- Shovels & Rope, "Good Old Days" By Blood (Dualtone, 19)
- Samantha Fish, "Louisiana Rain" Runaway (Ruf, 11)
- Three Timers, "Babe I've Got to Go" Sounds of San Antone (Shotgun House, 19)
- Joe Kaplow, "Dust Rattler" Time Spent in Between (Kaplow, 19)
- Bohannons, "Hungover Hills" Bloodroot (Cornelius Chapel, 19)
- Duke & the King, "One More American Song" Duke & the King (Silva Oak, 11)
- Left Lane Cruiser, "The Waltz" Shake & Bake (Alive Naturalsound, May 31)
- Fernando Viciconte, "I Don't Know" Traitors Table (Fluff & Gravy, Jun 21) D
- AA Bondy, "Diamond Skull" Enderness (Fat Possum, 19)
- Caleb Caudle, "How'd You Learn (feat. Lydia Loveless)" Paint Another Layer On My Heart (TiAM, 14)
- Kacy & Clayton, "Carrying On" Carrying On (New West, Oct 4) D
- Courtney Marie Andrews, "Goodbye Dear Friend" single (CMA, 19) D
- Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, "Nobody's Perfect" Beautiful Lie (Motel Time, Jun 21) D
- Sam Doores + Riley Downing & the Tumbleweeds, "This Morning I Was Born Again" Holy Cross Blues (Dollartone, 13)
Like a good and stinky compost bin, we are constantly adding to A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster. Instead of grass clippings and banana peels or expired vegetables, this week we added stuff from Secretly Canadian's newest signee Faye Webster. Looks like former Blue Rodeo rider Jim Cuddy will release a solo CD next month, and Reckless Kelly's got a live record in the works. Jeff Tweedy released a limited edition companion piece to his first official solo album, WARM, on Record Store Day. It won't be so limited come July 12, since WARMER gets its wide release this Summer. And speaking of Tweedy, he's produced the forthcoming October CD from Kacy & Clayton. Hear all about it on your weekly ROUTES-cast, here:
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