hartford’s hometown heroes are back. Queen Moo’s new record, Faint Sounds of Us Hanging Out, comes as a surprise — not only because it is being released only five days after it was originally announced, but because the album is so filled with twists and turns that it is impossible to know what’s coming down the pipe. for a band that eschewed traditional songwriting conventions (get those repeated choruses outta here!), Queen Moo continues to leave listeners guessing, not only on a song-by-song basis, but on a moment-by-moment basis. where a song starts is likely not where that song ends. so hey, strap yourself in and let Queen Moo take you on a trip.
it’s never been easy to put a label on Queen Moo. i’ve read folks call them “punk”, “americana”, “rock-n-roll”, and even “jazz”, and they are all of those things. but on Faint Sounds of Us Hanging Out, the sound i hear more than anything else is “glam”, specifically mid-70s Bowie. and to be even more specific, i’m talking Diamond Dogs-era Bowie, where he pulled out all of the stops, became his most theatrical, and dabbled in excess*. like Bowie, Queen Moo are going big, but loose. almost as if it’s a direct response to the tightly-wound second record, Mean Well, this album bristles at the prospect of being contained: building progressions land on deliberate blue notes, dynamics allow the volume to range from delicately soft to head-thumpingly loud, and songs that trade off vocal duties and lyrical themes.
the band — nick charlton on drums, oscar godoy on lead guitar, kevin o’donnell on vox/bass, and john rule III** on vox/guitar — showcase a chemistry that is hard to describe. it’s as if Queen Moo’s comfort zone is being pushed out of their comfort zone. as the name of the album suggests, there is a friendliness — a warmth — that comes through in the band’s sound. Faint Sounds of Us Hanging Out can be adventurous at times, so if it doesn’t immediately click with you, give it another spin or two. it’s littered with treasure.
here are my three favorite moments from Faint Sounds of Us Hanging Out:
“gooey functions”: as the lead single and opening track, this song was an unexpected choice. a broken-and-beautiful ballad, kevin o’donnell’s piano and voice provide one of the most gorgeous moments of Queen Moo’s career. that the band then allows the song to collapse upon itself in improvised sounds and chaos, well, that might as well be a thesis for Faint Sounds of Us Hanging Out. they’re comfortable with letting a moment get ugly, or messy, as the video for “gooey functions” depicts.
“tell me”: a song that will easily rank among Queen Moo’s all-time best. it’s a perfect example of how the band is willing to withhold its punches until they have you right where they want you. within the context of “tell me”, that moment is at the 2-minute mark, when after a few starts-and-stops, they barrel forward with an impossibly perfect vocal melody. it’s a piece that never repeats itself, and that’s one of the things that i’ve always found maddeningly addictive about the band — there’s not just a catchy chorus or refrain that will continuously repeat — you have to start from the beginning to catch all of these unique moments.
“periphery”: i always love when scott bevins’ trumpet shows up in a Queen Moo song. on this penultimate track, he features prominently in the intro and outro to wonderful effect. “periphery” starts with a jazzy muted trumpet line and ends by underscoring a show-stopping croon by john rule III. both of these moments capture a mood, a vibe, that you just don’t get in other bands. it’s part old-fashioned rock-n-roll and part adventure.
*in particular, i hear a lot of “sweet thing (reprise)” and “we are the dead” from that record here. and bowie comparisons might be hard to avoid, given john rule III’s voice and their penchant for wearing their influences on their sleeves.
***yeah, i know everyone in connecticut knows him as “jason”.
