Centro-Matic -- Hipster Music Collection

Hipster Music Collection Alphabetical: # | A | B | C | D | E| F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL

Centro-Matic
Artist Website: centro-matic.com

All the Falsest Hearts Can Try

Candidate Waltz

I went to see these guys in 2009 with a pregnant Ms. Hipster. That worked out not so well. So poorly, in fact, that I heard not one chord from their new Dual Hawks album, nor any other album, that night. I follow them on Twitter and have been a long time fan of their mislabeled alt-country thang. It's as if being from Texas automatically makes you "country" in some way, even if you're playing electric guitars and singing about Michael Strahan. The first noticeable thing on this album is the production tweaks they've made, implementing some studio nob-twiddling effects that have taken away some of the crackle (and muffle, honestly) they've had on some of their previous albums. I can't say any of it grabs me like some of their older stuff, honestly. It feels like a band in search of a new sound, swinging away on every track but kind of hitting foul balls. They try their hand at being Wheat, Queens of the Stone Age and Spoon in turn (at least one of those bands is from Texas and another from bumblefuck California, which might as well be Texas), but none of them really stick. The whole album just kind of feels identity-less and meandering. It's never bad when bands try to reinvent themselves after a long time (well, it is often bad), but this feels less like a misstep than a sidestep. They do try to real it back it in on "Mercedes Blast," which sounds like what I want and expect from them, but it's sort of too late when you find your footing on track eight of a nine-track album. Maybe I’ll luck out and actually make one of their shows in the coming year. I just hope they play some of their classics and leave this one for mid-show when I have to pee.

Dual Hawks

Centro-Matic and its de facto leader, Will Johnson, are a hard band to categorize. They're certainly not country or folk or anything, but they have that dusty Texas twang that gives the distorted guitars and Johnson's strained creaky voice a twinge approximating something southern. They're kind of like a more adult contemporary version of Archers of Loaf, although that comparison is probably way off. This album in particular is less crafted than others, as it was written and recorded practically on the spot. That spontaneity doesn't seem to hurt them, though, as the album feels fresh and more like an excellent live set. There's a certain buoyancy to the album as guitars squeal, impromptu hand claps slip in and out, but Johnson's trademark anthemic feel remains. If there's any album of theirs that convinces me I absolutely need to see these guys live it's this one. Like most of their albums, the mood is infectious. Grab a bottle of Bud and enjoy.

Fort Recovery

Love You Just the Same

One of my favorite song titles of all times, "Strahan Has Corralled the Freaks," is the centerpiece of this vaguely alt-country record. Actually, if there's a way to meld alt-country and emo, this would be it. I know that sounds gruesome, but it really comes out better than expected. Will Johnson, the voice and songwriter behind Centro-Matic has a great, scratchy voice and a terrific sense of making pop music that just cuts off enough of the edge as to avoid sentimentality, and pushes the schmaltz envelope without going over the edge. This latest album (2003) experiments a little more with instrumentation, but stays grounded in its American rock roots. You gotta love a guy who isn't afraid to write a song about a gap-toothed NFL player and then write an awesome, piano-laden love song and album closer like "Without You."

Navigational

As the album starts, the homemade recording and finger-plucked acoustic guitar made my eyebrows perk up at the GBV vibe. It then settles into a mellow vibe of understated, folksy alt-rock. While there is an occasional upbeat track that will recall GBV, most of the tunes here are pretty slow and heartfelt. I tend to like Will Johnson when his stuff is a little less subdued and a little more soaring, but this collection of little songs is satisfactory for what it is. I would probably check out Love You Just the Same or All the Falsest Hearts Can Try if you're interested in Centro-Matic, but this is a good album to pick up if you want to see the softer, buzzier side of Mr. Johnson.