Awareness Or Illusion
Self-Released, 2025
8/10
Listen to Awareness Or Illusion
The Long Island artist Motu returns with a 24th album, where his guitar fueled roots rock is as relevant and memorable as ever.
“Just Shut Up, Stop Talking To Me” starts the listen with Motu’s dense guitar and rugged voice alongside Ed Modzel’s thumping drums, and “Something Has Changed” follows with buzzing guitar and Dee Michelson’s expressive pipes that harmonize with Motu’s raw pipes.
Landing close to the middle, the spirited harmonica and playful dobro suits Michelson’s soaring pipes across “Too Much Bullshit To Normalize”, while “I Look To The East” is a powerful moment of dreamy and authentic songwriting where the pedal steel guitar makes an impression.
The title track arrives close to the end and spotlights the sturdy riffs and hazy keyboards amid a bluesy approach, and “A Company Man” exits with a frisky energy of timeless rock qualities that uses finger tapping and slide guitar techniques.
A diverse body of work that adeptly moves across the rock spectrum via grunge, jam band, Americana, blues, roots and classic rock, Motu (real name Dr. Richard Michelson) handles vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, dobro, pedal steel, bass, mandolin, keys and harmonica for 11 songs that may remind you of Warren Haynes, Keith Richards or Jimi Hendrix.
Travels well with: Motu- The Water Is High; Motu- Acceding To The Apocalypse