Mix equal parts Utah mountains and Southern California sunshine and you get a singable, slightly twangy, alternative-country, or as Remedy Motel calls it, porch rock.
On their second independently released album A Better Life, these Utah boys turned California surfer kids have struck on an idea and a sound they like to call Americana-infused music.
The rock on A Better Life does not stray too far from usual in the Americana, alt-country, indie-pop genre of music.
Upon first listen, the CD suggests influences ranging from the harmonizing vocalization of the Grateful Dead to a little bit of bluegrass and country to pretty boy Ryan Adams and all things trendy.
The album sounds like something Gram Parsons could have been a part of if only he would have added some slick production and become slightly less mystical.
A Better Life and Remedy Motel do have their strong points. The five-piece is unusually tight and all appear to be strong musicians. Tim Haren on drums, Nate Semerad and Shawn Ryan sharing guitar duty, Mike Digregorio on bass and singer/songwriter Mica Johnson round out the line up.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The album's strongest numbers come in the latter half of the album. "Any Ole' Time" has Johnson sounding like a better version of the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. The song is a great example of southern country rock mixed with some blues that the Crowes perfected. "Any ole' time/ Whenever you feel/ I got your heaven right here/ I got your soul right here/ And I could use a little tenderness," is sung in a sad and painful way that exhibits the group's capacity.
The next number is almost the polar opposite. As much as "Any Ole' Time" makes you want to dig the whiskey bottle out from under the couch on the back porch, "Doot Doot" makes you want to embark upon the best road trip anyone has ever experienced. The short and happy song is reminiscent of the Dead's Casey Jones and will make many a happy hippie hitting I-25 on their way to Taos.
Remedy Motel certainly saved the best for last. "Boise" is a great story about drinking, fighting, dancing and loving all in the context of being a traveling band. Sung in the vein of Johnny Cash's Hey Porter, "Boise" has it all. "We ain't got no money left and we're running on fumes/ We're heading into Boise now and it's looking like we're through/ We walk into the bar room man I don't think we fit in/ They got cowboy hats and baseball bats and I wonder where she's been/ I open up my mouth to sing and they started pouring booze in."
Who would have thought the capital of Idaho would call out the spirits of Johnny Cash, boozing and hard times into a band calling Oceanside, Calif. home?
Unfortunately, three strong songs do not make a great album. The rest of A Better Life sounds like a slightly more radio-friendly, yet boring, version of Wilco or Adams.
With that said, Remedy Motel's sound is high quality and together. They have good ideas, and with three exceptional songs, they have potential for even better things.
