Available through MGM or on-line
Americana/Pop
One of the frustrations of the music industry is that all music has to be put into a pigeonhole, and once you are in that pigeonhole there are certain criteria you have to observe. It is also seems to be true that certain emotions and storylines have more weight than others. Tell a depressing tale involving sadness, dark thoughts, despair and maybe some abuse and automatically you get a few extra points. Tell a happy tale about loving life and enjoying things and you lose a few points. What a load of rubbish! It takes a brave soul to break those rules. That is exactly what Melody Moko has done. The Wreckage is a pop/Americana album with some folk influences as well, and it’s an album that will make you smile. Think artists like Brandi Carlisle or Tift Merritt for some comparison.
Its strengths are Moko’s songwriting, her individual and very strong vocals, and the sympathetic production (by husband and multi-instrumentalist Michael Muchow, and Rhythms editor Catherine Britt) that allows those aspects to shine. Songs like ‘The Wreckage’, ‘What I Used To Know’, ‘Truth About It’, ‘Secondhand Heart’ and the Paul Kelly cover ‘Don’t Explain’ will soon be stuck in your head and you’ll be singing them as you work and play. Having said that, there is not a weak song on the album. Artists like Shane Nicholson and Kevin Bennett add their backing vocals to some tracks showing the regard in which she is held within the music community. It is a very strong debut for Moko. I love this album – don’t miss it or her if she is performing near you.
By Steve Britt
