Austin Moxie James is an eighteen-year-old musician from Houston, Texas who recently released smoke will befall you. The artist got his start early making music and the death of a childhood friend was the catalyst for this release.
“Smoke…” is the opening song and revolves around some very solid guitar picking. James lets out a slight “hhmmm” that accompanies the guitar. Layers of guitar are added. James mentions John Frusciante is one of his influences and I picked up on that when hearing the lead guitar. It's a well done intro that establishes the tone. On “rain falls heavy” we are introduced to vocals. The song starts with loosely strummed guitar and vocals. It doesn't take long for the guitar to be more prominent. There’s also a ghostly vocal lead behind the lead which sounded great. The song is steeped in melancholy but also quite catchy. Great song. “purple mt singalong” is another great song and in fact a highlight to my ears. It’s stripped back and contains some fantastic guitar picking. The style sounded somewhere between Devendra Banhart and Donovan. I also thought the vocal delivery was dynamic and emotionally resonant. James sings “Oh purple mountain I hike you forever / Or till I run out of days / Upside down and broken / I see my presence fading / A failure in every way.” “i was a scarecrow in the garden of eden” is a soundscape with what sounds like elements like organ that have been reversed. It’s cerebral sounding and although nothing quite sounded like this on the album it worked with the feeling. “i only wanna be with you” is definitely the most single-worthy song and also a cover song. The song seems to embrace ’50s pop in a number of ways. It’s not only the chord progressions and vocal melody but also the lyrics. James sings “I don't know what it is that makes me love you so / I only know I never want to let you go / Cause you've started something / oh can't you see?” “time is nigh” is a subdued and intimate song. The Phil Elverum project Mount Eerie came to mind because of the distinct strumming style and melancholy. “never wake a sleeping cub” felt like the second part to “i was a scarecrow in the garden of eden.” The backwards effects are back but this time the soundscape is longer, more intense and builds with a distortion. “a ballad” displays more fantastic guitar picking and memorable vocal melodies which bring to mind Elliott Smith. “houston rocket” might contain the most advanced guitar picking yet and is quite beautiful and haunting. “hospital song” closes the album with a mix of emotions and a plea for salvation. I was eighteen back in 1997 and was already a musician. They were salient years helping me become a better songwriter. I, however, wasn’t writing songs this complex and emotionally resonant at that age. My point being James is already a very talented musician and hopefully this is just the start. I found this album emotionally engaging and was impressed the more I immersed myself. Recommended.
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