The prolific energies of Matt Addison are more apparent than ever on the new Mythical Motors album. Fans of Nineties-era Guided By Voices, or Columbus-adjacent band Connections will find lots to love in Addison's work. Travelogues and Movie Stills is a smorgasbord of smart tunes with sharp melodies.
While numbers like "Finer Thrills" echo not only GBV but also The dB's, the lovely "Wild Souls Compendium" nods in the direction of British indie in its construction. Elsewhere, "The Luck of Saints" is all "Driver 8"-y hooks, while the crunchy "On New Wings" may make a listener recall the best stuff from Velvet Crush.
Matt Addison does a few things so extraordinarily well that one excuses Mythical Motors for not have more variety in approach. What he does do is make you remember how bands like those I've mentioned were once capable of making concise records without any filler. For those of you who've worn out your copies of Bee Thousand or Chronic Town, you might want to give Travelogues and Movie Stills a spin. There are similar pleasures to be found in the world of Mythical Motors. This is highly recommended!
Travelogues and Movie Stills by Mythical Motors is out now. Details below.
[Photo: Matt Addison]