Glenn Yoder and the Western States “Blood Red Moon” Album Review
Glenn Yoder is the king of catchy. He somehow manages this capacity in his songwriting and riff building that just slays me every single time. Its quite the feat, truly. So…damn…catchy.
Right from the first note of ‘1171’, the guitars with the slightly driving tone, the rise in their excited playing and fall as Yoder’s voice drops in. Glenn’s vocal holds a really special and nostalgic place in my heart. Back in the days where I drank entirely too much and would stumble home through Allston to my apartment in Brookline on Beacon Street. Perhaps not the best times for me as a human, but as a music lover it was the tops. Cassavettes was one of my favorite local bands and soon after, Yoder’s first solo record “Okono Road” made me an immediate fan of his venture into being a solitary songwriter act.
The title track has an almost foreboding, brooding vibe as Yoder converses with the listener over ringing chords and a trotting drum line. The drums break for a brief moment at the chorus, breaking the song up, making things interesting. Glenn and the band have a way of keep listeners engaged in that way. There is a swampy, fogginess to the track. A nighttime, forbidden feel and vibe while keeping its groove.
Oh, the night it makes fools of us
It gets its voice into our heads and drains
The part of our conscience that directs us straight ahead
It puts drinks into our throats and evil thoughts into our minds
Cheap perfume on our clothes, things we regret from tonight
‘Spain’ followed up Blood Red Moon and man, it just slays me with the feeling. The upstroke of the rhythm guitar, Jeff Katz’s always killer lead work. And the keys, oh man THE KEYS. I nearly forgot home much I dig Brooks Milgate’s playing, I remember vividly now folks. You will be nodding your head to the beat without realizing it in no time.
“Why’d You Hurt Me?” has all the emotion. Yoder’s growl plates up a heaping helping of pain and force feeds it right down your throat. Gritty and rocking, it casts a shadow of a man going through some shit. Its high sailing guitar riffs, the bass hitting the root notes hard, and the drugs
The latest from Yoder and band sounds as tight as ever, despite the front man’s move out of Boston to DC in the past year. His voice is the central driver of these songs and the songwriting is on point. Catchy hooks mixed with a bit of a darker side of the songwriter, and I love it. There are hints of popiness here but a backyard garage band sentiment packaged in pro packet for you to unwrap and enjoy over and over again. Fun and excitement ooze from the songs contained on Blood Red Moon. The guitars, the keys, the songwriting, the band and how they feed off one another, it all just works so damn well. I, for one, am so excited to dive back into this record again and again…and then some more.
