Morgan’s Road – Topics of Love
Official URL: https://morgansroad.com/
Score: 4/5 Stars
Alternative Rockers Morgan’s Road from Charleston just released their latest 15 track CD entitled “Topics of Love” in 2014 under Spectra Records. Band members include: Ben Woodruff – Vocals/Acoustic Guitar, Tyler Perry – Drums/Vocals, Cameron Allen – Guitar/Vocals, Matt Chmielecki – Bass, Justin Banks – Keyboard/Percussion. First off let me say this is a very tight band!
Straight way it’s obvious to me this is one band that brings a comical spin on life, and we all know how well music reflects life right? With this kind of comical approach to modern day Alternative Rock we’ve seen similar bands like The Horrors, Miles Kane and Manic Street Preachers achieve huge scale success. On “Topics of Love” you’ll hear the a-typical alt-rock concoction with a hint of funk via some enticing guitar driven groves. I like to call this kind of genera funk rock. Personally it’s my favorite style of music to listen to. You know music like a mellowed down version of red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beastie Boys and more recently Gorillaz to The Blood Hound Gang. “Morgan’s Road” aren’t too far behind as they combine all of the above with an above average vocal style and a solid signature sound.
There’s a zany hard rock blues influence in there as well from like Zu, Ween, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. All 15 arrangements offer much in the way of captivating musical performances and a diverse spectrum of sound that runs full circle. “Stay” makes a good first impression. Besides modern day Funkadelics one can also appreciate the hint of Soul and R&B. The underlying theme here is no-doubt Funk Rock based and the array of instrumentation offers everything one would expect. Besides the a-typical (bass/guitar/drums) one can also enjoy Organ and Synthesizer. The R&B-Funk-Rock like quality is the perfect foundation for some of this songwriting. In this aspect they remind me of Supergrass, and Primal Scream. Some songs push hard “Band Man” and sick “Dang Diggity” while a few touch on an almost Disco-dance feel “Turn Its back on You” while other pieces provide an intoxicating grooves like on “Child”. The beginning, middle and end of the CD masterfully incorporates all of the aforementioned styles into a whirlwind of musical delight that slowly fades out as humbly as it begins. “Topics of Love” is a wild ride for sure. The song that had the biggest impact upon me as a listener was “Here I Come”.
This latest release by Morgan’s Road” entitled “Topics of Love” makes a lasting impression upon me the listener. Together they make a deadly combination – live or in the studio. They sound comfortable together not holding anything back and their eccentrically good songwriting is never one called into question. Morgan’s Road creates an inviting musical setting that highlights all the good about eccentric trippy Alt-Rock and Singer/Songwriter Electro-Funk music. All songs offer a wide array of musical depth and structure – offering a great balance set of songs. Need I say more?
REVERBNATION: https://www.reverbnation.com/morgansroad
Review by Ely Cooper. Approved by Cyrus Rhodes.