People in a room negotiating how much noise each of them can make is something that simply cannot be beat. But it’s not like many haven’t tried. Since the dawn of rock n’ roll, those in the business of selling music have tried to find easier-to-control, cheaper alternatives. But what’s the use in trying?
There have been producers putting bands together since the dawn of time, but nearly all of these forced marriages end in a messy divorce. There have been attempts to form bands out of shoving mismatched professionals in the same room, but nearly no supergroup deserves your attention or money. And, more recently, there have even been ill-fated attempts at using AI to replace musicians, but listeners, for the most part, have flat-out rejected it.
What’s left? Good, old-fashioned cooperation is the only road worth taking, and The James Henry Morgan Gang might be the ones to prove it once and for all. If you’ve just about lost your faith in humans working together for a greater goal, this collection of songs could be the thing that inspires you.
It’s because the five songs gathered on “The James Henry Morgan Gang II” often sound messy, but always feel soulful. It’s because the band invests in an old Americana sound, but it always feels like the group is, somehow, going to triumph against the odds. What’s not to admire about these sorts of daredevil tactics?
Take a listen to the opening song, “Roll with Me,” where the clear-as-a-whistle blues-rock guitar riff slowly becomes just one more moving part of an ensemble that includes multiple vocalists, horns, and a rhythm section taking inspiration from the Southern-rock great! Yes, there are times when you worry that the train is going to skid off the rails. But everyone here delivers their part with so much soulfulness that you assume that since they have no fears, neither should you.
In fact, the rest of the songs feature performances that exist somewhere in between the spirit of a Sunday church service and a carnival. “Fix It Man” is a classic blues ode to the healing powers of love and lust. Sparks fly off the lead guitar playing on “Friend,” a song choosing positive vibes against the advice of most of your peers. And, the keyboard sounds on the slow blues of “Hurt So Bad” add a great big splash of color on the canvas on which this collective of musicians paints with sound.
Where does it all leave us? Maybe, just a little bit more trusting of others. On “Ptowne Blues,” arguably the EP’s best cut, The James Henry Morgan Gang puts all of its collective strength to good use trying to find a remedy to the woes and aches that all of us feel inside of ourselves. And, when you know that there’s someone trying so hard and willing to join the tradition of blues-rock healers, you just feel that the world’s a little bit brighter than you thought it was a moment ago.
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