The Pig And The Machine
Whiteworm, 2020
9/10
Listen to The Pig And The Machine
A singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who now calls Los Angeles home, Harry Cloud, has been involved in Orphan Goggles, Fannyland and COPS, clearly doesn’t appear to be interested in anything mundane, as this 5th solo album defies categorization in ways that bring punk, metal and alt-rock ideas to mind.
In a very bold move, Cloud puts one of the longest tracks in the lead off position as the orchestral dirge of “Fantasia” sets an ominous mood that builds into a soaring, majestic display of metallic yet melodic sounds, and “Momo Island” continues the creativity with some dreamy garage-rock that’s still a bit forceful but mostly revolves around gritty melody.
With 14 tracks on hand, there’s much covered here and it’s always unpredictable. Near the middle, “Asexual Bunnyrabbit” unfolds almost as if a twisted lullaby that bursts into a chunky alt-rocker, while “Sam I Am” flirts with doom metal sensibilities as searing guitar solos enter the turbulent delivery. “Bower”, an album highlight, then barks with a rowdy rock’n’roll spirit meets horror punk sort of meshing.
Towards the end, the acoustic beauty of “Look What You Made Me Do” is a pleasant surprise as keys enter the tuneful equation, and the title track finishes off the listen with a fuzzed out affair that gets cozy with psyche-rock, too.
If subgenres like stoner rock and doom metal mean anything to you, or you just prefer intimidating yet inviting music, The Pig And The Machine should certainly occupy space in your collection and expect to revisit it often.
Travels well with: Castle Black- Dead In A Dream; Tyson Meade- Robbing The Nuclear Family