Beyond The Headlights’ Reach
Self-Released, 2021
9/10
Listen to Beyond The Headlights’ Reach
Russ Carrick is a talented guy who, since 2013, has been making some very interesting sounds in the area of post-punk. On this 3rd album, he’s got plenty of help on harmonica, cello, horns and others as he taps into the greatest ideas of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
“Never Great Enough” starts the listen percussively strong as firm guitars and gritty vocals meet in a thundering yet melodic version of alt-rock, and “Break In Case Of…” follows with a driving pace of timeless, angular rock that flirts with power-pop, too.
“Grab Hold Of The Sky” lands at the halfway point and recruits acoustic guitar for a calmer moment of modern indie-rock prowess, while “Rule Prytania” shuffles with brisk drumming as bouncy bass lines and spirited harmonica complement its dreamy formula. “Bad Faith”, an extremely well done tune, then gets thick and busy with a charged climate that takes nods to the ‘90s in all the best ways.
Deeper yet, “Fog Over Monomoy” is a calmer display where cello is embraced amid the gentle setting, and “The End/Directions To Heaven” exits the listen fuzzed out and animated, where crashing drums and swirling guitars guide the furious yet very calculated and anthemic buzzing.
If this were the ‘80s, it wouldn’t be out of line for Carrick to play alongside Mission Of Burma, and he’d have no problem sharing a bill with Helmet or Superchunk in the ‘90s. As far as to where he fits in today, let’s just say that few artists in the area of alt-rock are doing it better in terms of diversity, impact and memorableness.
Travels well with: Maximo Park- The National Health; Matthew Sweet- Catspaw