Review Summary: Motorpsycho shrugs and stays at home.
One good thing about the COVID-19 lockdown was that it became a fruitful period for many artists, so you can imagine how things unfolded for Motorpsycho, who were already prolific. They set up a small studio in their rehearsal space to work on demos initially. As expected, new material started pouring alongside development of various ideas accumulated in the vault over the years. When the possibility of touring returned, these songs were put aside for later use. Last year’s
Yay! became the first phase of these “long years” sessions as penned by the band, showcasing the gentler, mainly acoustic side of the Norwegian act.
Neigh!!, on the other hand, portrays a wider range of styles explored throughout their discography. Mind you, a collection of tracks that never found a home until now definitely means solid material in MP’s book, remember
The Motorpnakotic Fragments.
So, with the exception of a couple of folksy ditties,
Neigh!! resides mostly in the indie/alternative rock territory. The swinging Americana of “Crownee Says” & the campy Skip Spence cover, “All My Life (I Love You)” lie somewhere in the middle sonic-wise. The former reminisces early Wilco, while the latter stays true to the old school psychedelic tone of the original, with the members pouring their hearts out, especially on the choruses. Opener, “Psycholab” takes its cues from the band’s late ‘90s output, using catchy chord progressions and lovely sing-alongs, whereas “This Is Your Captain” trips on twangy, cyclical rhythms. The falsetto vocals add to the spaced out atmosphere, followed by an extended guitar solo during the coda. Meanwhile, centerpiece “Elysium, Soon” boasts a round of stoner-tinged riffs. The trio emphasizes the smooth grooves without resorting to any progressive detours they’ve been mostly gracing us with since the beginning of last decade. Same goes for the extended closing jam, “Condor”, a classic rock type thingy with a Santana vibe and a lo-fi production. These songs represent a welcomed reset from the band’s by-now-saturated prog rock phase, but most importantly, the two records formed an identity of their own. The tunes do not seem thrown there for diversity’s sake, shaping a rather sweet collection of interesting material instead. Sure, you might not get the same thrills as listening to their 10-minute plus epics, but on the right day,
Neigh!! might kick in just as well as other favorites in their catalog.
