As a Michigan native myself, I know all too well the power and legacy of Detroit and its environs on the history of music. From the Stooges and the MC5 to Bob Seger and Ted Nugent to Motown and the White Stripes, the Motor City has had a lasting influence on succeeding musical generations. As it turns out, not all of Michigan’s great music is coming from downstate, proven by the stunning debut album from Mason Proper. Hailing from the great white north of Alpena, the quintet offers a wild pastiche of pop/punk energy (“Intimidation”), the sweet/sour pop rush of Jellyfish and the Shins (“My My (Bad Fruit),” “The World is Smaller Than You Think”), the polyrhythmic drive of the early Police (“Intimidation”), the synth pop punch of 12 Rods, (“A Chance Encounter”) a dash of Zappaesque whimsy (“Miss Marylou Carreau,” “Mr. Charm”) and a fantastically unique perspective on cross-pollinating all of it. Moth is an amazing achievement for a young band on its first effort, made all the more impressive given that they released it themselves last year before remixing and tweaking it with producer John O’Mahoney and re-releasing it with Dovecote. Combining a contemporary edginess with an innate sense of pop classicism, Mason Proper creates a swirling and shifting exhibit space in which to hang their wildly diverse and compelling sonic paintings.
~ Brian Baker
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