A record which is well-versed in the loss of people’s youthful aggression.
AUK recently premiered the track ‘Tulsa‘ from this album. Recorded at Purple Aura Studio the proprietor being none other than John Moreland. Mike Williams and Moreland go way back in the Tulsa music scene, being past members of various punk and metal bands, as well as playing together acoustically. Both were promoted by Tulsa’s Okie Tone Records who released a couple of Williams’ EPs which were more blue-collar heartland rock than metal. While playing bass in Moreland’s band he turned his songwriting attention towards acoustic storytelling. Then, as he performed more on his own, he “began to lean into music he felt highlighted the lyrics and melody more”. The solo route also brought about a change of name (Reginald Roy) in tribute to his father.
These nine songs are classic vignettes of blue-collar America. The title track ‘Unremarkable Lives’ is about being out of work, starting over from scratch in your late 30’s and trying to find the good in that situation. Williams says: “the rest are stuff about change, growing old, divorce, and Christian guilt”. The mood is one of inevitability (“Now I am no stranger to suffering/ I just wait for my turn cuz it’s coming”) rather than cage rattling (“We let the bastards win if we don’t try”). Recording-wise Williams says, “We would start with just the vocals and guitar and build from there. A few songs turned into band arrangements, and some stayed just acoustic recorded live”. There’s an even mix of both throughout the album.
The acoustic tracks are quite sparse in their melodies (the frequent harmonica does lead to unavoidable comparisons) and the guitar playing needs to be a bit more remarkable, but Williams’ words are lovingly crafted. On ‘The Chase’ he sings, “Put one foot behind the other walking backwards till you’re right back where you started from” and admitting “We used to hate what we’d become/ Stuck in a place we’re running from” On ‘Storefronts’ he laments, “All the storefronts have emptied and they got new names on old streets/ Brittle asphalt deteriorates under my feet the landscape is changing/ Faded sign tells me Christ is King that he paid for my penance on Calvary” There’s a welcome touch of keyboards on ‘Ghosts’ while ‘Slowly Sinking’ perseveres with the melancholy. These tracks would surely captivate a live audience. Maybe he should stay clear of bars with a clientele not too keen on being reminded.
The band arrangements bring welcome layers. The opening track ‘Tightrope’ and the final track ‘Unremarkable Lives’ are legitimate heartland rock, still with a lot going on in the lyrics. The album’s stand-out track is ‘Photographs’. It is a beautifully written song. ‘Tulsa’ and ‘Last In Line’ are also excellent, achieving Williams’ intention that: “I’d be equally happy if folks find something that speaks to them in the words, or a melody gets stuck in their head”. Tulsa is a stop on the legendary Route 66 – perhaps a reason for the car junkyard on the album cover and a metaphor for having seen better days? Williams’ social commentary makes its way to ‘Last In Line’ as he sings, “Poor is criminalised/ In the land of the formerly free” continuing with the inevitability until the end, “Well the odds never shake out even”.
In addition to Williams on vocals, bass, and drums, the record features drummer Steve Walden and keyboardist Dustin Howard on the title track. As well as producing, Moreland sang backing vocals, played bass, drums, and electric guitar. Williams says, “I’ve always loved aggressive music but at the same time I’ve also always had a soft spot for softer rock and songwriter music and pop”. On ‘Photographs’ he sings “Teenage angst never reconciled/ We stood for nothing we could define”. Williams’ songs need a proper live band. Maybe a bit more of that aggression back too. But he writes well about what he knows.
