There's something resolutely upbeat about the indie of Cut Worms. Max Clakre knows how to make music that works in a simple way, without a lot of extraneous nonsense. The tunes on his new Jeff Tweedy-produced Transmitter are some of his best yet.
Early singles "Windows on the World" and "Evil Twin" are here, and they sit nicely next to the ringing pop of "Long Weekend", a real gem with throwback appeal. Lots of what's here doesn't sound too unlike that of producer Tweedy's earlier work in Wilco. "Worlds Unknown" and "Barfly" are two of a few numbers here which add in a twang or two. The cuts have a vaguely Americana vibe about them, though Cut Worms music is decidedly more alt-pop than New Country.
Max Clarke likely grew up on the same kinds of things I heard on American college radio years ago, and those familiar styles creep into the songs here. There's a modest liveliness to the material on Transmitter which makes these tunes very easy to like. Of course, nothing here really pushes the envelope, and there is a decided sameness to the record which is hard to ignore. Still, this is the perfect sort of unassuming piece of vinyl for those days near the tail end of winter where it's unexpectedly pleasant out, and the sunlight lingers longer and the cold seems to be going away.
Transmitter by Cut Worms is out on Friday via Secretly Canadian.
[Photo: Caroline Gohlke]