The latest musical creation from Portastatic, one of indie-rock's finest musical groups is scheduled to be in record stores on March 11. Mac McCaughan, singer/guitarist of almighty Superchunk, has produced his third full-length solo album, titled The Nature of Sap.
When McCaughan visited the 'Sco last December, he performed alone with his acoustic guitar and distinct, yelping, child-like voice. Yet on his albums, he has recorded his songs with various musical toys and a changing line-up of friends; including Polvo's Ash Bowie and Erectus Monotone's Jennifer Walker.
On The Nature of Sap, McCaughan primarily enlists the help of his brother Matthew on the swinging drums and Jonathan Marx on trumpet, saxophone, organ and a wonderful clarinet. Along with performing the vocals and guitars, McCaughan experiments with and concocts creative, absurd sounds and enchanting melodies with electronic keyboards and sound machines that are essential to Portastatic's music.
McCaughan expands even further on The Nature of Sap with the addition of a beautiful piano on several of the album's tunes. He is Schroeder from Peanuts, sitting alone on his stool, fingers gliding along the black and white keys, creating charming and endearing expressions of friendship, love and indifference. In fact, one of the catchier tracks on the album, "Hurricane Warning (Ignored)," slightly resembles the Peanuts theme song as it opens. McCaughan's lyrics tend to be as catchy, creative and interesting as his music is, claiming "warnings are for people with their eyes closed, you might as well put tape on all your windows." Even at the chorus, his cute boyish voice questions, "So you're scared of a little rain?"
Overall, this album has a very new feel to it. With the addition of the piano and jazzy drums, Portastatic produces a lounge music-esque atmosphere in several of the songs. The album begins with a terrific, jazzy number called "You Know Where to Find Me," combining a piano melody with some quirky, catchy electric keyboard blips and effects and his brother's swinging snare and cymbals. For those who are already familiar with Portastatic, this may come as a delightful surprise. This song is followed by a snake charmer instrumental that makes great use of the clarinet, weaving in and out of the eerie, ambient organ sounds.
The piano melodies turn to the darker side on a few of songs later in the album. "Landed," pits McCaughan as Jessica Rabbit - swank star of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - singing in a sultry and sexy voice to smashing percussion and the classy piano player in a tuxedo who performs offstage in the corner. "If You Could Sing," also casts devilish piano and jazzy drums, with both picking up in the chorus as McCaughan proclaims, "Well if you could sing." At one point in his Oberlin performance, McCaughan joked that without the loud electric guitars of Superchunk, we would finally realize that he can't really sing well. One can only wonder whether or not this song is autobiographical.
The most conventional song on the album, yet still a superb and catchy standout, is easily "Spying on the Spys." It was previously featured on a 7" single (the album version has added drums) that McCaughan sold to fans at his Oberlin show. An absolute favorite on The Nature of Sap is a sad, love-stricken deep piano and drum track called "Flare." The deep, tumbling drums are reminiscent of the Spinanes' album Strand. It must be how the song provokes the heart to melt, ache and reach out longingly. McCaughan enters the teary-eyed, yet hopeful chorus and asks, "Will you light a flare for me? Call the message in our tree? Well is your world too small for me?" and then finally says in shy, honest admission, "I miss you so ridic-u-lous-ly."
After quite a few listens, The Nature of Sap stands as the best of Portastatic's releases. It touches and moves you the most, and branches out to new unchartered waters. Portastatic is such a creative endeavor for McCaughan, with its combination of acoustic beauty and various, diverse, electronic and ambient noises. He takes these instruments and molds them masterfully into terrific tunes that fill your head with paintings and keep your heart singing.
Related Story:
