I’ve always appreciated the rare band that can end, only to find their now disparate pieces spiraling off in to the most inspiring directions possible. Regardless of why a band decides to call it quits, the emergence of music projects out of their ashes is always interesting, if nothing else.

Fortunately, in the case of Mike Adams, the dissolution of his long-time band – Bloomington’s brilliant Indie Rock powerhouse Husband&Wife – has led to something steeped in lush Americana, soulfully playful instrumentation, and quasi-experimental song arrangements. While it’s not necessarily a huge departure – Husband&Wife was, for all intents and purposes, an Indie Rock band with a strong Americana backbone – Adams is now solely responsible for the output of Mike Adams At His Honest Weight.

Adams’ vocals, and lyrical prowess, were always one of the most provocative pieces of what made Husband&Wife the beloved outfit they became. With his new project, he is very much front and center, even while his vocals play out almost in the background. Along with airy guitars and shimmering instrumentation, there’s a lighthearted quality to his new output, even if it still carries the same weight of his previous material. Fuzzy guitars and ruminative lyricism are layered together in a way that’s impossible to separate from the artist himself. As a fan of all of his output so far, I consider that the highest praise I can give.

Opening their Cincinnati date – this coming May 10^th at The Comet – is the newly formed Tooth Lures A Fang. Born out of the ashes of Cincinnati duo Somebody’s Something, Zach Starkie’s new project started as a solo exploration of all the pieces that didn’t previously fit in to Somebody’s Something’s milieu. It has since evolved in to an eloquent 3-piece ode to all things 90’s Indie and Alt-Rock, eschewing most modern influences in favor of an un-ironic reinterpretation of the influences Starkie, and co-writer Nic Pater of Obviously Twins, share a strong fondness for. Pater’s involvement has given Starkie a focus – based on the electronic preferences Pater’s Obviously Twins project swims in – and has allowed Tooth Lures A Fang the opportunity to move far past the limits their previous projects had placed on them.

May 10^th will be a celebration of new beginnings, and an affirmation that no matter how far a band does, or doesn’t, go, there are still infinite directions to explore. Mike Adams At His Honest Weight is as much an artist hitting the restart button as it is a continuation of all the things that made Husband&Wife what they were, while Tooth Lures A Fang manages to both happily accept the past while excitedly looking toward the future, usually within the framework of a single song. This promises to be a great pairing, and should make for one hell of a fun Saturday night.

Tooth Lures a Fang
w/ Mike Adams at his Honest Weight
The Comet
Saturday May 10^th
10p
Free