Cutler Station, hailing from West Virginia, reached out for an album review for their upcoming release I Wanna Build A New Machine, or IWBANM for short. I was grateful for the opportunity to wax rockingly on their previous album All Meat No Sides, which was an album I really enjoyed, so with this opportunity to do the same with IWBANM I was more than grateful to wax. The new album I have been listening to for a little bit now, and let’s get into it a little bit.
The record opens with the title track of the album “I Wanna Build A New Machine,” a song that I think is a reflection of some of what we have going around in the world now. I won’t get too political, or humanitarian here suffice to say we could use some progression and I think this song sort of reflects that. Anyone who reads these reviews knows that I won’t go track by track, but for any newcomers that same goes. One of my favorite tracks is “Big Brother’s Little Sister.” I enjoy the song a great deal. Not only is it the message, but the groove laid down by the drums and guitars left me with a smile. The message isn’t grim or anything like that, again more like holding up a mirror to where we are at now as a society, then with a melody that grooves and you know probably shouldn’t be smiling at what this is saying, but when the groove hits sometimes you just do. Another favorite of mine is the song “Keith.” A simple song about Keith, a guy who seems to simply not worry about much. Keith is not worried about the end of the world like most. “Suicidal thoughts and insanity, but not Keith,” he’s apathetic to say the least. Those are just the words, the music behind these words lends themselves to summer, effortlessly.
As I was listening to the album over and over again, I couldn’t help to notice how the guitar and pedal steel play off of each other while giving the record something otherworldly while still maintaining its roots in a americana slash country feel. I suppose that’s why I love pedal steel, and the beauty of pedal steel, and apparently there is some sitar as well. Cutler Station blends these vast array influences throughout the record and within the songs, and by doing that they have created a sound authentic to them. That sound, that music, lays seamlessly in between the message of a record that I think is at times holding a mirror up to us as a society. Maybe not any one of us, but certainly Big Brother.
Through ten songs Kirby Evans (guitars/keys/vocals), Jason Singer (drums), Steve Lipscomb (guitars/keys/vocals), John Evans (bass and vocals), and John Borchard (pedals steel/baritone guitar/ sitar) are the fellas that make up Cutler Station that take us on a journey through sounds coming out of the beautiful West Virginia. I should mention as well that Chris DeMaria did all the artwork on this record and the one previously. Kenny Miles from Fat Baby Studios mixed the album. The record will be coming out on July 31st. They are on a bit of a show hiatus, but life has gotten busy with all the kids they have. There are a select few, but I couldn’t recommend this record enough. I just love the sound coming through my speakers and headphones that they laid down over these ten songs. It felt nice to drape myself in these songs and really fall for them. Give your ears a chance with Cutler Station as they’ve done something well with this. Happy listening.
