Browbeats

Item: Wither Wing
Author: Steven S. Baldwin

Wither Wing

(1998)

Reviewed by Steven S. Baldwin

Discogs Apple Music Spotify

Label KMG RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth1999

alternative rock pop rock rock roots rock

For fans of the previous Browbeats collection, this new album is a rude awakening. The more gentle, acoustic vibes of the previous collection have been mostly shoved aside for Michael Knott's signature brand of LSU-style rock'n' roll here. In fact, this collection sounds and feels most like the brash rock of an Aunt Betty's album, particularly their last one, Ford Supersonic, which continued their 1990s version of alternative tunes awash with more classic rock underpinnings. Not coincidentally, Knott wrote or co-wrote all these songs; four are repeats from the Ford Supersonic collection (the difference being primarily that Terry Taylor of Daniel Amos and Scott Silletta of PlankEye guest on vocals for these versions). There are some shades of Michael Knott's solo work from Strip Cycle, too, and again another repeat, this time with "Tattoo" getting the full-throttle rock treatment and actually improving on the original's energy.

The Browbeats band is primarily a mix of former Aunt Betty's and Prayer Chain members, so the alterna-rock playing is decidedly solid throughout, without quite reaching the heights either of those bands have taken us to on their own. You also cannot go wrong with the guest vocalists, which include Adam Again's Gene Eugene on an appropriately plaintive yet peppy tune, Jason Martin from Starflyer 59 on a suitably dreamy rock number, and Every Day Life's Ted Cookerly starring as a guest rapper on the opening track, "Stonergirl." In particular Eugene's take on "Out of Time" is a rare mellower moment and an album highlight due to his respectable melancholic delivery. He also played the album's keyboard parts. Naturally, Michael Knott himself sings a handful of these songs, including the quirky "Herb's Garage" and "Ricki Racer." The sum of these eclectic parts is an enjoyable 40 minutes of trademark Knott and friends fun.

Michael Knott is prolific; in fact, he is more prolific than most songwriters (with VOL's Bill Mallonee and DA's Terry Taylor being noted competitors for the coveted "Most Prolific" title). Given Knott's ability to pen a tune at the drop of a high-hat, this collection curiously offers more retreaded material than most of his projects. Without questioning Knott's motives about whether this collection was truly conceived as an entity unto itself, it certainly serves as a means of marketing his music to a larger audience by including a gaggle of guest vocalists. Perhaps his decision to include former material was made for artistic reasons, or simply to provide better access to songs from the Aunt Betty's harder to find Ford Supersonic album, or both. Maybe Knott just liked the idea of hearing friends like Terry Taylor sing his songs (and I quite agree). Regardless, Knott's music deserves to be heard in any form, and the sheer cheer of this rollicking set will have you exceeding the speed limit if you're not careful.

4 tocks