A Scuzz-Soaked Sophomore Effort

Motor Earth is Chicago psyche-grunge outfit Axis: Sova’s second album for Ty Segall’s Drag City imprint God? Records. This go-round, lead member Brett Sova assembled a full band that includes touring buddies Tim Kaiser on guitar and Tyson Thurston on bass.

Beginning with “Love Identity,” Motor Earth kicks off with heavy distortion, hard-hitting percussion and semi-uninspired guitar work. “Love Identity” serves well as a head banger that must be turned up to eleven, overindulging in a no-holds-barred explosion of air-punching sound; however Axis: Sova leaves a bit to be desired for a track that spans nearly nine minutes. Ending with drawn out, disorienting distortion and tinny feedback, “Love Identity” showcases what’s to come in a perfect prediction.

“(Like An) Intruder” kicks off like the cousin to a Thee Oh Sees track, complete with cheeky riffing and a high pitched shriek before being paired with a toned down (but still speedy) melody underneath which is Brett Sova ‘s echoing croon. “Sanity Range” is a slowed down, metallic and semi-scuzzy track that parts from the nonstop cadence of the previous tracks and substitutes in a little atmosphere. A track like this serves well to showcase lyrics and intermittent solos, which “Sanity Range” immediately dives into before pulling back into the same verse-chorus formula that’s occupied the album thus far. “Eyes Have It” channels a similar slowed down, beefy-yet-unpolished vibe that “Sanity Range” showcased, while “Unraveling” brings in some interesting drum-machine percussion and a cheeky, teaser introduction.

Album closer “Routine Machine” sounds like a Segall production. One may even go far enough to say the track could occupy a space as an honorary 5th track on Segall’s Mr Face EP. Putting the wah-wah pedal to the metal and pairing it with harmonic delivery and jangly chords, “Routine Machine” is a hazy dream that layers the moving parts well and genuinely tells a story, sending the album off in good grace.

Motor Earth hits one stride and basically maintains it throughout; the effort is dripping in acidic, feverish distortion, clanging and cavernous vocal delivery and underscored percussion in a rambling, run-through-it mess that is great news for fans who crave propelled, honest-to-god rock and roll. However, this shambling take on songwriting and recording (were some tracks done in one take? Made up on the spot perhaps?) might engender apathy and eye rolls from the pencil necked guitar nerds out there. For a band with a bio that consists of “low-brow, high-impact. One note philosophy,” one really can’t get too upset with the guys for holding true—they did warn you, after all.