Charles Moothart – ‘Black Holes Don’t Choke’ album review: embracing rock and roll weirdness
THE SKINNY: Charles Moothart has been relentless since the beginning of his career, moving from his work in psychedelic rock with Ty Segall to his involvement in Fuzz. With a knack for bringing back the old-school sounds of hard rock, Moothart’s next solo venture promises to be a diverse and exciting project. He seems to have everything but the kitchen sink in terms of musical influences and ideas, suggesting that his upcoming solo work will be rich in variety and creativity.
Black Holes Don’t Choke seems to defy the typical concept album structure, offering listeners a diverse and unpredictable journey through Moothart’s musical landscape. Rather than adhering to a single overarching theme, the album appears to be a collection of various styles and influences that Moothart has explored over the years. This eclectic approach keeps the listener engaged, as the album continuously surprises with unexpected shifts from hard rock to synthesized tracks to mellow acoustic grooves. While this unconventional approach may lack a clear narrative thread, it showcases Moothart’s versatility and creativity as an artist.
While that sounds absolutely exhausting (because it is), the album never stops feeling like a good time throughout every track. Considering how much Moothart loves to pay tribute to the sounds of 1960s and 1970s style rock and roll, the record’s mood feels more akin to what Beck would do back in the day on Odelay, going from one style to another depending on how he’s feeling that day.
A play like this only works if you can pull off every one of the styles reasonably well, and Moothart makes it look like second nature. For all of the great percussion and synthesised pieces behind every track, the highlight of the entire album is his guitar playing, going from the kind of folksy cowboy chords to sounding like he just plugged his guitar directly into a recording console and unleashing hell on your eardrums.
Despite not being the kind of album that you get on first listen, Black Holes Don’t Choke is a record that needs to be sat with a little while before you really settle into its groove. Being sweet, harsh, and more than a little bit zany in places, Moothart’s latest shows promising signs that he may be able to go toe-to-toe with Seagull in the next few years.
For fans of: classic rock auteurs who never wanted to leave the garage
A concluding comment from a disgruntled landlord: “His flats as cluttered and messy as his music. You say, ‘energetic’ and ‘varied’, I say, this is the sound of rising damp from a pile of unwashed clothes.”
Black Holes Don’t Choke track by track
Release date: March 8th Label: In the Red Records
‘Roll’: Storming right out of the gate, ‘Roar’ is exactly the kind of song one would expect from a typical garage rock outfit. While it never rises above the heights of his work with Seagull, Moothart kicks everything off with a perfect blend of synthesiser buzz with the kind of rootsy rock and roll left over from the 2000s. Jack White would be proud. [3/5]
‘Hold On’: Although most of ‘Hold On’ promises to be a wash-and-repeat of the first track, those slow country-sounding chords give way to a dramatic switchup in the second half. This practically doesn’t feel like a song and is more an excuse to make a phenomenal guitar solo… easily one of the most feral performances the indie scene has gotten this year. [4/5]
‘Black Holes Don’t Choke’: All garage rock is going to rely a little bit on nostalgia, and the title track is a song that feels like it was born 50 years too late. Compared to the aesthetic of the rest of the record, this breaks up the flow in just the right way, lulling the listener down with lyrics that pull a few dark twists and turns on you. Get comfortable…but just make sure it’s not too comfortable. [3/5]
‘Anchored and Empty’: Just when Moothart was picking up momentum, though, this is where the record starts to really lose some steam. While the instrumentation is decent and tries to hypnotise you, there’s too little of a coherent melody to hang onto it for more than two minutes, let alone five. [2/5]
‘One Wish’: Now that’s more like it. At the risk of losing me with the previous track, this song captures the essence of what the last number was aiming for if executed correctly. While it may not be the most high-energy piece on the record, it showcases Moothart’s work within a psychedelic mindset. There’s no need to overlook the lyrics; instead, simply enjoy the journey for as long as it continues. [3.5/5]
‘Little Egg’: Given Moorhart’s background in lo-fi recording, this feels like a love letter to his roots in the field. Outside of the slow acoustic opening, the entire song is the kind of eclectic bliss that Beck would have recognised instantly. Part cowboy, part punk, part incoherent, ‘Little Egg’ is the sounds of a studio madman turning different musical fragments into a work of art. [4/5]
‘Clock Rats’: And now back on the pain train. Compared to the rootsy approach to the other tracks, ‘Clock Rats’ is the closest to punk the record ever gets, having a fuzz tone that feels like it’s ripped right out of 1977. This sound is definitely a little played out by rock standards these days, but if it were released circa 2008, this would be the soundtrack to the best basement show in town. [3/5]
‘Timelapse Choke’: Out of every song on the record, this is probably the most indicative of what the album has to offer…both for better and for worse. While there are the makings of a great rocker here, some of the lo-fi production choices and lack of cohesion make it sound much longer than it is. Considering how punchy the last tracks are, this comedown came a few songs too early. [2.5/5]
‘Fire I Call Home’: The words ‘hit single’ don’t really feel like they belong in the same area code as this album. If there was anything that could be seen as deliberately commercial here, though, ‘Fire I Call Home’ is the kind of rough-and-tumble rocker that wouldn’t feel out of place on rock radio. Or a truck commercial, depending on how you’re feeling that day. [3/5]
‘Crypts Crumble’: And to wind everything down, we have a gentle acoustic ballad to hush us to sleep. We got more than a few frail wounds along the way, but Moothart reminds us that everything’s going to be alright with a lyric sheet that’s one of the more depressing on the record. A man of contradictions to the end. You have to respect it. [3/5]