Gold Motel's Debut A Step Out, A Step Up from The Hush Sound
Greta Morgan returns with Gold Motel; this time as the Playmaker.
Gold Motel
Gold Motel EP
Released on Dec 15, 2009
Gold Motel’s self-titled EP begins with a youthful glory jam that could easily become your anthem for this summer: an ode to sunbathed days and road trips and hipstamatic lenses. “Perfect In My Mind” gives an accurate first glimpse of Greta Morgan’s new take on a solo career—life after (or in between) The Hush Sound. Jumpy guitar riffs and steady drumming are overall simplified to create a reliable platform from which Morgan’s vocals can take center stage. This is not to say that thoughtful details are lacking, as her keystrokes come in and the instrumentation does perk up two-thirds of the way through the first track. But if there is one notable difference between Morgan’s role in The Hush Sound and Gold Motel, other than the absence of a male lead vocalist, is that her singing comes out stronger, richer, and with no foreseeable bounds. She sings on, “I don’t have forever, but I live like I do, it feels like endless summer, the light shining through,” and it’s like liquid honey poured into wide open ears.
Most of the EP sneaks swooning harmonizing
from her band mates into the background of the songs, almost like an
additional layer of instrumentation. “The Cruel One” is a
piano-driven song accompanied by clashing, foot-stomping drums that
jut in and out, and displays an older, dated feel to its melody.
It’s evident, lyrically, that this EP is a showing of Morgan’s control
over her life and the music. Ranging from topics of knowing what
she wants, to living forever, to ducking out of the relationship before
it turns sour, she is the playmaker in this one.
“Who Will I Be Tonight?” is the
only sobering, slower song on the album, dabbling in more monologue-based
singing. She winds up ending most of the lines with high notes
that drip from slow keys. It has the feel of an old carnival,
like dirty and fading bulbs on a carousel, but still pumped full of
enough electric juice to brighten up the night. Every song she
sings is like a landscape that she’s traveling. And it’s her
band that is helping to create this atmosphere. None of the instrumentation
is worthy of its own show, or even a thirty-second solo. But while
Morgan’s vocals are stirring and enjoyable, she would not be as strong
without the supporting backdrop her band has created. Gold Motel’s
ability to build a formula wherein her voice has the freedom to jump
on top of the keys or slide over the guitars or coat the whole track
and almost drown out the percussion is what makes this five-song EP
not only likeable, but a strong contender for multiple repeats.
Morgan is able to lead the band into exploding tracks that cover different eras and foster an energy that was notable on The Hush Sound. I wouldn’t be surprised if tracks from this debut EP found their way to summer mixes everywhere.
High Point
This may be one of the best female-driven bands to emerge this year, seriously.
Low Point
While Morgan’s voice is solid, it’s not quite enough to carry through the rest of the band and make a memorable full-length album.
Posted by Beth Yeckley on Apr 29, 2010 @ 9:00 am