Punk Do-It-Yourself Ethic Morphs Into Americana Brilliance

The first thing that is intriguing about Michael Howard is his quirky voice. Now, some may say that’s not a compliment. But, in the context that I am referring the Howard voice is not like all the rubber-stamped, standard, connect the dot voices that flood the airwaves today and are passed off as great singers. No, not here.

Howard has that attractive quirky voice that comes from the well of other quirky voices. You know, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Tom Rapp (Pearls Before Swine), David Surkamp (Pavlov’s Dog), Dave Cousins (Strawbs), Mark Renner (“The Wild House”), Steve Gregoropoulos (The Wild Stares – “Piece of the Picture”) and yes, a little of Woody Guthrie in spirit. There are others – these singers don’t necessarily remind me of Michael’s vocals – they are all part of the special family of male vocalists who sing with stylized voices that are patently their own. These are voices that are not common in presentation, but wholly unique, evocative, exuberant, and with a potency only people who can appreciate sophisticated edges can embrace.

You may need a little patience with this album, but the voice will come around and lift you. It will captivate and soothe your frayed nerves. Howard is a former punk rock singer turned singer-songwriter who has managed to inject lots of punk-energy into an older genre of Americana. It will be because they don’t sound like anyone else in your deep ears which makes it almost a punk-folk hybrid. Your mind will instinctively gravitate to this special sound and what they are singing about. The voice alone is not what will grip you, but the construction of the marvelous lyrics and music – even in Michael Howard who doesn’t perform in any bombastic, over the top way.

His effects are strategically placed, his voice and lyrics are one, the music is mature and I may add — very well expressed.

There is a drama to songs like “Dealing with the Details,” – and yes…what a great song title. Cymbal swooshes, deep cello type tones (probably from the upright bass of Kevin Worrell). The style throughout is similar to an obscure, great singer-songwriter Jeff Campbell, (not the singer on YouTube. The vocalist I am referring to sounds like Cat Stevens only deeper – who had a 1978 independent album (“Live One On the Wire”) on Oneiric Records that was incredible.

Probably because the LP was one of the first vinyl albums recorded direct-to-disc live digitally. Campbell had a voice similar to Michael. Very similar to Michael that they could be “soul brothers.” 

Michael is a folk singer; however, he has a firm grip on a style that is more like short-story-singer because each song is like a little story. There is a plot, a tale, and in many cases characters, and these vignettes are assembled with potency.

“King of Spades,” is sung with legendary folky Phil Ochs abandon with a touch of Billy Bragg balls.

Just when you think it’s just a flash in the pan, Howard interprets his poignant “Cigarettes Are Fine,” and this is like a lost Woody Guthrie folk ballad found on the side of the road. There’s an attractive, unpolished veneer to it all. All the foreign country, edgy out on the skids society references are there and finely sewn into the lyrics. I guess if you think about it logically, it would have taken a former punk rocker to metamorphose into a latter day, modern-day Woody Guthrie type. Stamp this one “authentic” – they are songs that are simply taking this old world, much travelled road tradition, into a new century and one of the voices that does it is Michael Howard’s and it’s perfectly suited for it.  

Now, setting aside the heavy stuff, Michael provides a beautiful and delighful melody with “Oh, Donegal,” and though he doesn’t sound like Paul Hyde (of The Payolas – on YouTube), this song is the kind of splendid style Hyde has become famous for. Hyde’s “I Miss My Mind the Most,” comes to mind. This is the most accessible Howard tune.

The title track “Gasoline Dream,” culminates the album with lovely acoustic guitar and proves what a remarkable songwriter Howard is. He certainly deserves to take his place besides the likes of Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Tom Waits, Steve Earle, John Prine & Jimmy Webb as singer-songwriters who are consistently covered by many respectable artists. This album deserved to have a lyric booklet enclosed because the songs are that good and you would want to sing along at times.

The opener to this collection is an acoustic driven “Meet Me at the Front Lines,” – with the fervent guitars by Michael. The vocals are powerful, the lyrical tale is tight and it simmers in the mind and heart. This is up there with the best of Neil Young easily. There is also a Fred Neil quality to the songwriting though Fred had a far deeper and polished voice than Michael. Michael, however, makes up for it with his vocal character. It fits the song perfectly. “…with asphalt in her hair.” “Meet me at the front lines I hear something’s going on….”

Nice touch…real nice.

The recorded live in the studio “Hog Butcher, Hog Butcher,” has a quaint acoustic guitar style of Hot Tuna, the tone of Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady (former Jefferson Airplane) in their acoustic inception. This is also a formal, stylistic tune with folky, a little awkward, but workable lyrics in the old style of Woody Guthrie by way of poet Carl Sandburg – who originally coined the term in his famous opening lines of the poem “Chicago.”    

“Andy’s Song,” is an upbeat track with a hint of the style of Howard Werth & The Moonbeams. Werth used his patented and wonderful quirky-vocal in his sad, but dynamic “Fading Star,” (available on YouTube for investigating). I like this approach – I like these types of vocals because Michael joins a small, special family of vocalists who are rich in personality when they sing.

The Michael Howard band is small, but instinctively reliable – Michael Howard plays the acoustic guitars and synths. Kevin Worrell plucks the upright bass, bangs proficiently on the piano and pump organ. Andrew Maguire provides the balanced creative percussion. The ten-song inspired collection of “Gasoline Dreams,” was recorded in San Francisco, CA and produced by Jacob Winik.

Website: http://www.mhowardmusic.com/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelhowardalaska

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/michaelhowardak

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review / commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of No Depression. All photography is owned by the respective photographers and is their copyrighted image; credited where photographer’s name was known & being used here solely as reference and will be removed on request. YouTube images are standard YouTube license.

John Apice / No Depression / December 2016