Massive Moth has been hitting the music scene in big, bad ways. They’ve gone on a tour of the region, had their video played on OPB’s Oregon Lens, and played at The Great Idea at Enchanted Forest. Rumor has it that their forthcoming show with Men Without Hats will be their last show before a long hiatus. Though more of a mini-album at only eight tracks long, “More Scenery Than Man” is a solid example of what the band has to offer.
“More Scenery” opens with the swinging drum intro to crowd-pleaser “House on Holiday Hill,” a high-energy, rockabilly-tinged tune with a walking bass line, and one of the album’s standout tracks. Phased reverb keeps the percussive shouts of “HUH!” from being too overtly punk. The song’s old-fashioned influence makes it a perfect predecessor to the complementary two-beat feel on “Oblivious For Now…” This country reference is muddled with synth, major-to-minor key changes, and classic rock guitar jamming.
A theme of “More Scenery” is a sense of mythic place, whether original (Wanderer’s Way), allusive (River Styx in the relentlessly toe-tapping “So Shall I Do”), or real but presented with an aural styling that creates the impression of a storied idyll (Myrtle Creek). “Patrons of Wanderer’s Way” establishes this most successfully, opening aggressively with quarter-beat drum kicks and feedback before slowing the tempo, as if turning a corner, and shifting into a mellow duet; a sparse and ghostly organ in the chorus completes the dreamy vibe. The album’s lyrics are smart in a way that’s both brainy (including words like “hegemonic” and “behest”) and clever (“Ask not for whom the porn store clerk tolls”), while at times leaning toward the political. Contrasting the fantasy world theme is a thematic criticism of the contemporary real world. “Televangelist” points to social inequity as evidence of the American free market’s failings, and the album’s cover art seems to directly illustrate the lyrics of “Investor,” which addresses the environmental and psychological tolls of industrial globalization.
“More Scenery” manages to remain consistently interesting throughout. None of the songs are long enough to get tedious and no two sound similar enough to seem repetitive. Massive Moth has a skill for creating unexpected details: buzzy keyboards double the chorus melody on “House on Holiday Hill,” Kevin Rafn’s vocals and a progressively prominent synth organ temper the blues-rock main riff on “The Pro I Can’t Afford” with pop sensibilities, and dissonant guitar wails interrupt the reggae feel on “Televangelist.” “Investor” exemplifies several of the ways that the band maintains a sense of variety with drummer Sean Ireland alternating between rock and dance styles, and rough-and-noisy guitar treatment saving the sweet introductory chord pattern from sappiness before breaking into the stark verse riff. The song also utilizes the old Pixies trick of switching from 4-4 to 2-4 time for one measure at the end of a phrase, leaving the listener hanging for those last two beats—it’s the rhythmic equivalent of there being one less step than you expect at the bottom of a stairway.
“More Scenery Than Man” accomplishes what any album should by being easily perceived as a cohesive whole rather than simply a collection of good songs, and by embodying a band in both sound and spirit. In the case of Massive Moth, that makes it fun, compelling, and original.
More Scenery Than Man is available on CD at Massive Moth shows and in MP3 format at massivemoth.bandcamp.com.
Live Dates:
September 9, 9 p.m.
Massive Moth at Calapooia Brewery
140 Hill St. NE, Albany
Free, 21+
Info: warblerecords.com
[Editor's Note: One of our writers, Jason Stringer, is a part of the Massive Moth trio. This review is unbiased by the connection. That's not to say we didn't solicit bribes.]
