Marty Thompson

Rock has always shirked musical conventions. You might say it's its defining characteristic. The question becomes, how loose do things have to get before the wheels come flying off the spokes. Ever since Joy Division's first record hit the streets in 1979, fans and critics have been debating whether the off-kilter rhythm and sloppy 'not quite melodic, not quite dissonant' chords are the height of soulful composition or just a less than mediocre band who lucked themselves into the spotlight with some gawking press and a rockstar suicide. A debate you could surely reignite at any dimly lit alt bar to this day. There's no doubt that the unease in the band's writing and playing mirrored singer Ian Curtis' own unease with life....but is it actually any good?? Is it something you'd want to listen to over and over again? There are plenty of morose, alienated, existential pieces of music with brilliant composition executed beautifully by great players.

That question arises with the new record from Texas singer-songwriter Marty Thompson. Now, not all of the record has the aesthetic of a post-punk album. Yes, some of it is dark and brooding with that desperately driving beat but another side of it is classic Texas shuffle. However, all throughout Thompson's playing is loose and his chords choices often stray from established melodic structures. The Texas songwriter's latest album, My Kind of Woman has a quirky dissonance to hint at an off-kilter psychedelic-influenced theme.

The opener and lead single 'Hope is a Waking Dream's steady four on the floor intro is intersected with sputtering synth stabs and bubbling up guitars. The chorus leans in heavily to semi-tone and tritone changes that put the listener on edge, forcing them to contemplate the song's waking dream postulate. Mid-album tracks 'My Kind of Woman' and 'Lush' lean back into Thompson's Texas shuffle roots with a dose of that summer jam band quality. 'Patience' leans into the post-punk vibe full-on with throaty, moody vocals, driving drums and Twilight Zone guitar hooks. This song might be the best executed of the album as Thompson seems to decide on a vibe and delve in fully.

It's a tricky thing fusing genres. Especially when one of those styles thrives off of a certain cacophony. It can make for some awkward changes. Then again, without this kind of experimentation, we would be stuck in a perpetual loop of G-C-D, three-chord lame ducks. My Kind of Woman dips its toe into interesting territory but the styles haven't yet come to gel cohesively enough to really forge ahead into a new genre. With more unifying composition in the future, we could very well see a movement of Texas post-punk.