Mythical Motors’ new album will be shown off at JJ’s Bohemia
Imagine the Ramones as a pop group—and Mythical Motors is the result. A bold comparison perhaps, but the four-man group’s approach to music making, “Keep it short, sweet, fast and crunchy,” has an awful lot in common with the approach of their punk forebears.
Of the 16 tracks from their latest album, Long Live High Energy, 10 come in under the two-minute mark. It’s not an approach that would work for everyone, but for Mythical Motors, the result is a collection of catchy, up-tempo tunes that are just long enough to leave you wanting more.
Long Live High Energy is scheduled for release on Saturday, Aug. 15 at JJ’s Bohemia. This will be the band’s third album in the last 15 months, marking them as one of the more prolific recording acts in the area. Any debate on quality over quantity is quickly laid to rest with one listen, as the band’s commitment to solid writing and production is second to none.
The level of musicianship and lyrical craftsmanship would be impressive in any context, but when you take into consideration the sheer volume of work and the rapidity with which is written, rehearsed and recorded, Mythical Motors is a phenom.
In what I believe is becoming a part of Mythical Motors signature sound, most of the tunes on this album feature a juxtaposition of vocals and guitar. The vocals tend towards a light, airy, Beatles-esque quality, while the guitar is just good old grungy, garage-band guitar with a tone that 10,000 would-be guitar heroes would kill to have.
It’s an earth-and-sky dichotomy between ethereal words and worldly power chords. Plainly put, it wouldn’t work for everybody, but Mythical Motors has mastered the technique and uses it to great effect.
The self-described “power pop” quartet has been referred to by one particularly stunning reviewer as “too pretty for punk, too punk for pop.” Another good way to put it is “fast and dirty,” so it’s mildly ironic that my personal favorite track from this new collection is “Royal Dreams Take Wing,” a song that flies in the face of what we think we know about the band. A rare acoustic number, the song is soothing and dreamy, more akin to the psychedelic movement than the proto-punk and pop roots of the band.
As such, it is a nice touch that illustrates a whole other facet of Mythical Motors. Like an exotic spice, is probably best if used sparingly, but a sprinkle here and there among the faster and more furious tunes enhances the overall flavor of the album.
At the official release party, Mythical Motors will be joined by the Vamptones from Murfreesboro as well as Hogpig (this will be their first show in several years). In the meantime, you can sample this latest entry from Mythical Motors at their bandcamp page. Congratulations are also in order for band member Matthew Addison, who just recently became a proud papa for the first time (though one wonders where he found the time given the band’s work ethic).
Well done, Matt, and well done, Mythical Motors.