September 09 2024
On the surface, this would seem to be an odd one, based on the figure dressed in a spacesuit with stunning lighting and onlookers which could be a choir of some sort. The story itself is ‘out there’ too but the music, mostly a kind of folk pop that blends elements of horns, Latin music, and classical guitar is eminently accessible, even infectious at times.
The band, making their debut digitally, adopts the small West Texas town, Marfa, in their name, making light of it this way - an indie Americana band from a UFO slowly orbiting Fort Worth, Texas. Well, Marfa Lights is a real thing and the album cover may not be so odd after all. There is a Marfa Lights Festival and its own website that offers this: Ranchers, Native Americans, high school sweethearts, and famous meteorologists alike have reported seeing seemingly sourceless lights dance on the horizon southeast of town, an area that is nearly uninhabited and extremely difficult to traverse. The mystery lights are sometimes red, sometimes blue, sometimes white, and usually appear randomly throughout the night, no matter the season or the weather.
This concept album unfolds as a soundtrack story of a Gen X’er driving from Colorado through Texas to Mexico City in his dad’s old Ford Ranchero that’s equipped with 8 track tapes and the spirit of Jack Kerouac. When he reaches his destination he’s excited about finding a partner and embarking on life’s second act.
The band name is certainly not unique, however as Kaitlin Butts released a single of the dame name and country heavyweights Jack Ingram, Miranda Lamber and Jon Randall issued the Marfa Tapes. The band takes the oblique approach of only named the core band by first names - Brian, Daniel, Shawn and Mark. They tapped additional talents - drummer Pete Coatney (Jack Ingram), bassist Aden Bubeck (Miranda Lambert), accordionist Abel Casillas (Squeeze Box Bandits), keyboardist John Ginty (Allman Betts Band) and producer Phil Pritchett.
The initial part of the story is narrated in “Ranchero Squire” which segues directly to the Tex-Mex stomper, horn slathered “Heart Like a Bruise.” “The Wolf (Bossa Nova)” “Mexico City” continue this West Texas sound, the latter imbued by bright Tex-Mex horns. The latter part of the album is devoted to reprises of these songs and the kind of Tex-Mex sonics and varied instrumentation that coursed through these tracks.
These tracks stand out. The heady, flowing ballad “Nobody Reads the Paper” has lines like “nobody reads the Bible any more” and “nobody takes the wrong way anymore,” citing the decline of religion and the dominance of technology. The lustily strummed “Tulum” is subtler but oozes its own sneaky charm. The pure folk ballad “Dreams Are Dreams” carries an hypnotic but comforting vibe while the steady “One More Time” is dramatically strong.
So, this imagined travelogue may ostensibly seem silly on the surface, but when one digs in, there’s a colorful, varied musical palette that’s both evocative and provocative. Easy on the ears, this is well worth a concentrated listen.
Jim Hynes is an independent contributor on music for several magazines, including Elmore and Country Standard Time. He has also written for Variety. He was a listener-supported public station(s) radio host for 25 years in CT, MI, NJ and PA. He is also a Live music host/Emcee at several national and regional venues.