Motor - The Mystery Of...
(self-released)
Motor, with the mini-album The Mystery of, letcha right into their appealing world for a breath of well-written and catchy pop. This is a fun, harmless record that nonetheless dodges the "lightweight" label as it attacks unusual lyrical matter in its charmingly off-kilter way.
There's an easy looseness to the music in its assured mostly-acoustic strumming, simple keyboard parts, and driving rhythm section that always just barely seem to all hold together...the energy and unpredictability of a live take suffuses the record, especially on the noisy, Lou Reed-esque "I'm Holding Over." Much vocal versatility on display as well, vox are shared amongst the group members as songs jump seamlessly from male/female lead harmonies, alternating leads, and backing ba-ba-ba's. With the refreshing lack of a technological presence on the album, there's very much a strong sense of a band playing live-in-a-room here, no computers/click tracks/meticulous overdubs. Human! Vim, warmth, and summertime fun throughout these 22 minutes.
Despite the summery-pop tag, the band never stoops to cheap, vague lyrics or tired boy-girlisms; rather, the folks put in the effort to keep things entertaining and amusing at every step. "The Great Swamp Park" tells the story of gettin' high in an abandoned Chevy and wondering about the car's previous owners, while the woozy, wobbly "Thanks For Driving Me Home" is a strangely moving tribute from the inebriated to a designated driver.
But no novelty record this; the album's shambling looseness—its back-porch feel—is hugely appealing but deceptive. Oddly and impressively, Motor can churn out songs with a careless, throwaway air when there's absolutely nothing throwaway about them: musically, lyrically, or conceptually. And that's really sumpin'. Seven songs... seven fun, infectious tunes that'd each work as well in 45/single form as they do on this collection. Thus far, oddball pop record of the year.
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