By It’s our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring the proggy rock ‘n roll of Alan Morse’s loose studio exploration SO MANY WORDS and the depressive pop punk musings of Local Weatherman’s RIGHT ONE.
Alan Morse – SO MANY WORDS
Genre: Progressive Rock, Alternative Rock
Favorite Tracks: “Every Day is Insane,” “I Don’t Want To Travel Time If It Takes Forever,” “This is Who We Are,” “Making Up My Heart”
Solo projects are always fascinating affairs. They provide a glimpse into the psyches of musicians you might otherwise dismiss as cogs in a machine. In the case of Spock’s Beard, it seems like just about every member (past and present) has been involved in some side project or other. Yet guitarist Alan Morse has largely been dedicated to the Beard. Despite their many permutations, Morse has been the one constant in the band, which makes sense given his immutable style and approach to guitar. But he has never been the central songwriter for the group. Combine this with only one solo excursion to his name, and it has left many to wonder what (if anything) the icon has kept stored away. Almost 20 years since the release of that record, Morse is once again putting his artistic interests first, both musically and lyrically.
As the title of the record implies, SO MANY WORDS is a mission statement. This isn’t just Morse letting loose and goofing off in the studio, this is a means for him to be seen as more than just a guitarist. Though he might be part of rock’s most overrepresented generation (he’s a baby boomer), Morse has never really expressed himself lyrically in his art. And as a boomer, his poetry doesn’t exactly offer anything profound or innovative, but his observations are certainly colorful like his sense in fashion. Whether it be the surreal imagery of “I Don’t Want to Travel Time If It Takes Forever” or the cynicism of the title track, he certainly knows how to paint a picture, or at least put together a preliminary sketch. As per the actual choice of colors and paints… let’s just address the elephant in the room. Morse is not a conventionally gifted singer (think Tom Petty or Tom Cochrane but if they had a permanent head cold). That hasn’t stopped the likes of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and countless others from attaining success and being revered for how they write songs around their vocal deficits, but those guys understand how to sing with conviction. Morse generally lacks confidence and power when handling the lead vocals for his own songs, though one does get used to his nasally timbre after a few tracks. It also helps that he’s surrounded himself with capable duet partners and backing vocalists to help carry his compositions, perhaps best evidenced by the two collaborations with his brother Neal.
Singing is only one facet of SO MANY WORDS and what Morse brings to the table. Morse is first and foremost, a guitarist, and his skills on the fretboard are evident across much of the runtime, but just as impressive are his skills across a multitude of other instruments. Opener “Every Day Is Insane,” sees him dance around in alternating bars of seven and eight on the Bouzouki and keyboard; “This Is Who We Are” is beautifully draped in tin whistles, mandolin, and acoustic guitars; “In the Shadow of the Sun” is among many songs to feature his chugging cello work, and “Bass Solo” sees Morse fool around on, you guessed it, the electric bass (and synthesizers). Just as Morse fiddles with multiple instruments, so does he dabble with different genres. The aforementioned “Every Day Is Insane” is an obvious prog standard bearer, but it also sports a surprisingly celtic riff and anthemic chorus. The title track is an odd amalgamation of alternative rock and talking blues that only Morse could have concocted. “Bass Solo” earns the crowd for being the most out there as it sees Morse not only let loose on the bass guitar but also play around with electronica beats and texture.
While by no means the best solo project to come from a Spock’s Beard Member, it’s refreshing to hear Morse step aside from his main creative outlet and chart his own course. Not everything on SO MANY WORDS coheres, but one has to applaud a veteran like Morse for spreading his wings and trying something new. For those looking to let loose and embrace something eclectic, listen to the album on Bandcamp! [Connor Shelton]
Local Weatherman – RIGHT ONE
Genre: Slacker Rock, Power Pop
Favorite Tracks: “The Hole,” “Out of the Vein”
I’m a simple man: If someone RIYL’s Jimmy Eat World and Modern Baseball, it will probably click. Such was the case with Local Weatherman, a New York City punk band that scuzz up the median sound between those two acts with charged urgency.
What began as the solo project of Fritz Ortman has spent the last five-or-so years evolving into a collection of varied musicians stretching their arms in the worlds of power pop, slacker rock, and pop punk. The songs on their latest EP, RIGHT ONE, build nicely on the standouts from their 2023 self-titled album (“Guns,” “Bad”), with punchier, snappier production that leans into those pop rock edges—the chorus to anthemic opener “Thread” centers on this gripping, infectious, emo howl, and “Out of the Vein” would be a highlight on any Joyce Manor album.
The band describe RIGHT ONE as chronicling a fall “into a pit of hopelessness.” It’s a familiar feeling, no doubt. That pit, detailed in standout track “The Hole,” sinks like quicksand—a sense of depression that’s impossible to pull yourself out of: ”I don’t wanna lose control / The way I live it feels so cold / This is not the way I wanted things to go / I just can’t fill in the hole.” But those five years of building out the project brings a warming unity to the sound of these tracks—sure it feels hopeless, but musically it’s as though your friends are right there to pull you up. The closing title track soars with a hopeful determination, acknowledging even in the impossibility of it all that there is reason to keep going: “I wanna be the right one for you now.” Roll down the window and try to crawl out with Local Weatherman over on Bandcamp. [CJ Simonson]
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