Moonshine Willy – Bastard Child
In matters of the heart, most of us get a little gun shy as we grow older. It’s a natural response to having your heart broken and your expectations crumbled time and time again. Moonshine Willy singer-songwriter Kim Docter already knows this, and if you don’t, she and the band are ready to teach you. Together, they work much like romance itself, luring you in with overtures of sweet pop hooks, pinning you down with an overwhelming sexuality, and then flailing you with love and all its offspring (including but not limited to devotion, lust, jealousy, betrayal and revenge).
On their current release, the band blends Docter’s lyrics with country-punk and jangly pop as they skillfully navigate the fine line between brutal and honest. Their blending of male and female vocals creates uncomfortable choruses reminiscent of the Mekons’ classic “Edge Of The World”, while Rachel Ferro’s violin, George Goehl’s mandolin and Chuck Uchida’s guitar soften the edges as they intertwine leads and hooks in a manner as twisted and intriguing as early R.E.M. Toss in the foot-stompin’ rhythms of Mike Luke’s acoustic bass and Chris Ganey’s drums, and you have music that’s as haunting as it is catchy.
While Docter’s lyrics run the gamut of romantic intercourse — from telling off a cheating husband (“Burn In Hell”) to lamenting a heart broken once too often (“He Doesn’t Like Love”) to the strength of devotion (“Don’t Forget”) — the band never loses their sense of humor (check out their cow-punk cover of The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me”), making “Bastard Child” the rare kind of misery that you’ll gladly inflict on yourself time and time again.