Obstacle, Coarse - When the Disks Stop Spinning

Obstacle, Coarse

When the Disks Stop Spinning
​self-released; 2021

By Jay Freeman

Obstacle, Coarse describes its sound to that of Dylan meets Bowie, ‘Congratulations-era’ MGMT, Pixies, Matt Berninger, Neil Young, The Replacements and Thurston Moore. Musical styles range from early alternative, fresh folk, and dirty rock. Two tracks from the band’s latest When the Disks Stop Spinning (“Countersign" and "Running: Away") were featured on the Tony Kornheiser Show this past April. You’d be forgiven for thinking When the Disks Stop Spinning is all about finding strength while living through the pandemic, but there’s a lot more to it than that. To hear multi-instrumentalist Rick Baker tell it, the path of the album is really the story of “being dragged into adulthood, feeling sad and scared, angry even – of saying goodbye, while still desperately wanting to believe that youth can someday, somehow, be recaptured.” To put it another way, the songs on When the Disks Stop Spinning deal with the anxiety of having to grow up, along with the “quarantine-specific feelings” of the past year – and how these two paths intersect. Other players on the album who recorded with Baker (lead/backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, drums, and other percussion), include Alex Clark on bass (track 6) and Brian Nelson on keyboards (track 2). Nelson also mixed and mastered the album at No Count Studios in Seattle, Washington.
 
The first track “Trip to Your Pyramid” starts off with a bare-bones acoustic guitar. A warm rhythm electric, bass and drum jump in a bit later in this classic 60s era sounding pop rock song. But I also thought Rick Baker threw in some modern styles of his own and a great guitar solo, too. Next up is “Whisperwar” and it features a rich and smooth bass line. The song style has a Bowie feel to it – my thought is the Thin White Duke era or perhaps something like the Let’s Dance album.  A groovy tune overall. “Countersign” has a new wave feel to it and the guitar licks are heavy and infectious. It sounds like a danceable track and I think would be good to put out as a single. “Running: Away” is another quick and energetic number and gives the listener the punk side to Obstacle, Coarse. The guitar riffs are catchy and fun and the pace fantastic!
 
“Another Birthday” has a quirkiness about it and the lyrics are humorous. Kind of reminded me of Nilsson or Frank Zappa. “(See You) Around Town” has a beach/pop rock vibe with a great guitar solo, but more modern sounding than the stuff from the ‘60s. This was a fun song, even though I think the lyrics are about breaking up. The album’s title song begins with some birds chirping, a slower beat and a light acoustic folk style. The extra string and woodwind instrument additions were a nice touch. You could say this song is a cross between Beck and the Grateful Dead. “Aug-6” has a folksier quality to it.  Lighter and more mellow in its touch. Baker’s voice is cool, low, and smooth – like a crooner is some smoky late-night bar. It’s hard to make a direct comparison to any one artist or musician, but I liked what I was hearing. “Bye Bye Bye” offers an awesome, harder rockin’ edge. And yes, you’d be right to think that this is a cover of NSYNC’s well-known number. I must admit, I like Baker’s version better.
 
“Don’t Give Up Now!” gives the listener a solid pop rock style with a fantastic guitar sound. This one kind of reminded me a bit of The Cars and/or Tom Petty. The guitar solo had a nice quality and as a drummer, I appreciated hearing the ride cymbal, too. “(Alright[Be])” starts off with a wicked crack of the snare and fuzz bass that reminded me of Cliff Burton on Metallica’s “Whiplash” but, there’s no thrash metal going on here. This tune is hip and funky and sparse with just the bass and drums playing – telling all listeners that “it’s gonna be alright, alright.”  “I Know It’s Love (I Know It)” has the classic sounds of dreamy pop numbers from the ‘70s-‘80s, the sophistication of artists like Bryan Ferry and the softer side of Lou Reed. There’s pop, a bit of jazz and soul too – a unique combination indeed. Last up is “Wind.mill Watch.ing” which features a swaying rhythm and “sing-along” quality. The extra layering of instruments (like the bells) added more texture and kept me engaged right up until the end. Overall, a unique blend of sounds and styles from this Seattle artist.

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