Thursday, August 10, 2017

John Elderkin and ¡Moonbeams No Mas!

 
John Elderkin and ¡Moonbeams No Mas! - The Fall and Rise of John Elderkin and ¡Moonbeams No Mas! 


Featuring the talents of modern artists the caliber of vocalist Danielle Howie, The Fall and Rise of John Elderkin and ¡Moonbeams No Mas! is a mammoth seventeen song effort succeeding on the basis of its contributions from the likes of Howie and some of the most accomplished musical talents working today in the American South. This album contains multitudes and culls its sound and approach from a variety of popular genres and styles dotting the history of 20th and 21st century American music. Despite being inspired to a degree by David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Elderkin’s opus is more redemptive tale with some dark and intense turns around the way. Some of those turns are surprising; others are well in keeping with listener’s expectations when they begin listening to this album. It’s one of the most far reaching releases in recent years and it’s thrilling to hear someone aiming so high but, moreover, finding their mark.  
 
“We Waited Five Years” is the first song of many that adopt redemption as one of their themes. In the case of the opener, it’s redemption so far deferred. Elderkin’s voice is improbably bright when you listen closely to the lyrics and the obviously intentional mismatch is meant to produce its own memorable effects. There are naturally other themes introduced along the way, but there’s an abiding theme about journeying and longing running through the song cycle and it finds one of its finest expressions with this song. “Song for David Bowie” is an intensely personal and colorfully composed lyric Elderkin’s voice brings to the full bloom of its potential. “Gather Your Strength” is a lean and sinewy guitar controlled track with a straight-ahead backbeat, but the guitar’s influence on this song pales in comparison to the mark it leaves on the following number “Don’t Look Right at the Sun”. Elderkin and his band milk this song for everything its dramatically worth and transform it into multi-movement six string combat. There’s a real grit, gravitas, and musical command powering performances like this and he sounds no less comfortable as an all out rocker than he does as a melodic acoustic-based writer.  
 
“Keep It Down” has a smattering of post production effects ornamenting the performance, but it succeeds primarily due to the unsettling jangle of the song’s acoustic guitar, some unexpected instrumentation, and exotic keyboard colors further skewing the melody. “Danielle, Long Gone” gives Elderkin’s lauded guest star, Danielle Howie, a chance to grab the spotlight and the result is one of the album’s most beautiful tunes. She gives listeners a particularly thoughtful vocal likewise capable of invoking plenty of its own musical attitude, “Give Me Your Hands” has some hazy, purposefully indistinct qualities and might seem like an unlikely closer, but John Elderkin’s songwriting on this release is obvious primed to keep us on our toes and does a spectacular job doing so.  


Alonzo Evans

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