Motopony: Motopony
When thinking of the music of Seattle, most people think of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the grunge sound. But since the death of the grunge sound, Seattle has become home to many of the most successful indie band of our times including groups like Band of Horses, Death Cab For Cutie, and Fleet Foxes. In the grand tradition of these bands, Motopony was born.
Motopony was started as an outlet to Daniel Blue’s poetry. Eventually it evolved past a solo project into a full band incorporating members Buddy Ross, Brantley Cady, and Thomas Williams. Despite the extra members, many times Motopony’s debut self-titled album still feels like a solo project. “Vetiver” is reminiscent of Phil Elvrum‘s The Microphones project. It is mostly comprised of acoustic guitar and Blue’s vocals; there are slight violins added but they blend into the mix such that they are barely noticeable.
Not every track is quite as barren as “Vetiver”; the album’s lead single, “King of Diamonds” has a fuller feel. The track is still mainly based around an acoustic guitar but the track is a little more up tempo and incorporates drums, bass, glockenspiel, and piano to round out the mix.
The fuller sound suits Blue’s songwriting; unfortunately, very few songs on the album are as full as “King of Diamonds.” Motopony’s self-titled debut is mostly comprised of songs that Blue could have easily recorded solo in his bedroom without the help of any other musicians. The point of working with other musicians is to use them so I would advise Blue to do so on his sophomore attempt.
Rating: 3.9/10
MP3: Motopony “Vetiver”
Buy: iTunes or Amazon
Motopony: Motopony
