It's weird and wonderful how well the voices and talents of Samuel Locke Ward and Mike Watt work together. The Iowa/Pedro, Ca. duo has been working as a team and they're here with their newest release. Purple Pie Plow is out this week on the esteemed Kill Rock Stars label and it's an invigorating listen.
After intro "Children of the Stars", things get moving with "Be the Bones", a plaintive-yet-catchy number that shines a light on Locke Ward's vocals. "Help Me" and "How Much Does it Cost" have a vibe that earns comparisons to Watt's own Minutemen, while "Never a Parade" is just one of many tracks here where Samuel Locke Ward seems to be tapping in to the spirit of old Nilsson albums. "Sundown" and a few other selections add in dashes of free jazz and I think Watt's late partner D. Boon would be happy with the music here.
SLW cc Watt have made something special here. Purple Pie Plow is simple and yet bursting with ideas. The instrumentation is carefully chosen, and the numbers have a looseness that's refreshing. At the same time, the two musicians have clearly designed this material to suit their own unique talents. The whole thing flies by on good feelings, good intentions, and a real old school DIY charm.
Purple Pie Plow by SLC cc Watt is out now via Kill Rock Stars.
[Photo: Kill Rock Stars]