Murderers’ Accordion – Occasionally Edgy & Tastefully Strummed
Murderers’ Accordion – So Little Left to See
SlowBlue Records
This album’s stark cover, illuminated only with a street lamp, led me to believe it was going to be a dark affair. On the contrary, I was pleased to hear an opening jangle of chords and buried feedback of distant electric guitar. Images of early Uncle Tupelo with Tom Petty vocals immediately came to mind. Alt country? Roots rock? How about tastefully strummed acoustic guitar music backed by occasionally edgy electric guitar?
Murderers’ Accordion borrows from many folk rock sub-genres. Each of songwriter Steve Takeuchi’s solidly crafted songs is artfully defined by their poignant electric breaks and jangle-accented acoustic guitars. My favorite is titled "Weird". Clever, swirling, spacey guitars mark its mesmerizing ambience while the repeating words, "Something weird going on around here" spill out over the music. All the songs on So Little Left To See are basically a reference point for the vocals which dictate the direction of each number. Although it takes work to dig out what it is Takeuchi is singing on some tracks, the album goes deep, but the country music-like drawl is lost on me at times.
Murderers’ Accordion – So Little Left to See
SlowBlue Records
This album’s stark cover, illuminated only with a street lamp, led me to believe it was going to be a dark affair. On the contrary, I was pleased to hear an opening jangle of chords and buried feedback of distant electric guitar. Images of early Uncle Tupelo with Tom Petty vocals immediately came to mind. Alt country? Roots rock? How about tastefully strummed acoustic guitar music backed by occasionally edgy electric guitar?
Murderers’ Accordion borrows from many folk rock sub-genres. Each of songwriter Steve Takeuchi’s solidly crafted songs is artfully defined by their poignant electric breaks and jangle-accented acoustic guitars. My favorite is titled "Weird." Clever, swirling, spacey guitars mark its mesmerizing ambience while the repeating words, "Something weird going on around here" spill out over the music. All the songs on So Little Left To See are basically a reference point for the vocals which dictate the direction of each number. Although it takes work to dig out what it is Takeuchi is singing on some tracks, the album goes deep, but the country music-like drawl is lost on me at times.
I love the harmonica work on "Gone," a painful, soulful and realistic interpretation of lost love without any of the usual lyrical trappings. Takeuchi’s vocal drawl insists that "She’s gone, gone, gone, gone" and you know that he’s had to admit this at some point in his life and repeat it convincingly to himself. A sign of maturity and reason surround this particular track. It made me feel like crying.
"Interstate" is the last track on the album. I felt the sun rising after an all night road trip in the opening chords and harmonica. At this point the album is tied together and you can actually feel the tires hitting cracks in the concrete as you rattle down the road on some lost forgotten winter highway. So Little Left to See may seem a rather bleak comment on society, but it’s always hard to make out the details when you’re a little bleary-eyed from a long drive through the darkness. – (8.5/10)