Plenty Wrong To Go Awry
Saustex, 2020
8/10
Listen to Plenty Wrong To Go Awry
An Austin outfit with a penchant for avant-garde exploration and the blues, this 5th album from Churchwood, although recorded in the summer of 2019, certainly does soundtrack the current troubles facing the country quite well, and with a very adventurous spirit, too.
“Ain’t Your Choir” starts the listen with plenty of intricate guitar work as dark vocals highlight the unpredictable setting that even brings in harmonicas, and “Steal It Back” follows with jagged rhythm amid a nearly theatric quality of atypical creativity.
At the midpoint, “Bees Of The Invisible” moves cautiously, with proficient drumming alongside storytelling that almost seems like gospel, while “Piss On The Fire” rumbles with a punchy grit and raw singing. “Haint Blue”, an album highlight, then delivers some of the best melodies present as well as riffs you won’t forget soon.
“Tantamount” and “Fixin’ To Crawl” finish the listen, where the former recruits garage rock sensibilities with much rawness, and the latter benefits from organs on the buzzing exit that’s not lacking any energy or lasting power.
Spearheaded by Bill Anderson and Joe Doerr, who both have impressive resumes in the world of underground rock, Churchwood aren’t playing the blues in any sort of way you’ve heard before, as prog, roots, and garage rock enter the formula, as well as minor nods to proto-punk or even surf rock that fans of Captain Beefheart, Nick Cave and Jon Spencer should be familiar with.
Travels well with: Harvey McLaughlin- Rascality; The Beaumonts- This Is Austin