I have three Spotify playlists that I feel like I can listen to no matter my mood. The first is a bipolar irrelevance made up of a hodgepodge of genres. The second is dedicated to the soulful sounds of Motown, and the third is filled with 60s rock (minus The Beatles, whose music is “Spotifyless…” Thanks a lot, Paul). If that second and third playlist got together and made a baby, it would be made of bits and bytes and the best MP3 genes available… and it would probably sound a whole lot like The Lovers Key. Comprised of Christopher Moll and Maco Monthervil, The Lovers Key combines retro pop-rock instrumentals with soulful vocals. The band’s debut full-length album, Here Today Gone Tomorrow, is due out in early April, and is a must-listen for any fan of Motown or 60s Rock.
As the album title suggests, The Lovers Key attempts to tap into a bygone era with their 60s style. The album’s 11 tracks are primarily driven by fuzzy guitar and upbeat organ arrangements. Throw in Maco’s soulful, jazzy melodies, and you wind up with an album that seems to be made for head bobbing and finger snapping. Depending on the song, Maco’s voice could draw comparisons to nearly every soul singer from the 60s, but for me his voice falls somewhere between Jimmy Ruffin and Billy Stewart.
One of the things I like most about the album is that it’s not overproduced. There’s a very raw and real sound that coincides with the honest lyrics and the two genres (60s rock and Motown) that the album draws from. That rawness seems to express the band’s heart as much as it does this particular style of music. I listened to the album digitally, but the whole time I felt like it should have been playing on vinyl. If you only listen to one song from the album, I’d recommend “Tell It Like It Is (Don’t Break It To Me Slow).” While this catchy, upbeat track captures the band at their best, “Maybe I’m Not Good Enough,” and “In A Perfect World” are also must-listens.
It’s awesome that this is the band’s debut album. I mean, they’ve only been together since 2012, so if they can manage to avoid the curse of the sophomore album, then it seems like they have a lot of room to grow and become even better, which is pretty exciting for any fan of retro rock and/or Motown. But before we go talking about a follow-up, give this album a listen. Fortunately for us, the Internet has ensured that basically nothing is actually here today and gone tomorrow, so be sure to snag a copy of Here Today Gone Tomorrow and let the music remind you of a time when records ruled and we didn’t have to wonder why The Beatles’ music isn’t on Spotify.
Hailing from 'The Good Life City' of Albany, Georgia, Colby Pines is the middle child of five boys. While his family is primarily comprised of men, the Pines family did have a female dog once... unfortunately she died... God bless his poor mother. When Mr. Pines was in third grade the doctors discovered that he had an extra bone in his knee. The bone did not possess any magical powers or help Colby run faster/jump higher, so the doctors surgically removed the bone and refused to let Colby keep it as a souvenir. Colby recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor's degree in English and a Master's degree in having cool friends and wearing great sweaters. Colby studied abroad at Oxford University's Trinity College where he was able to visit three of the four coasts, but was not able to bring back a baby with a British accent. Colby enjoys going to the movies, scotch, traveling, playing folk music with his band, BirdHead, eating good and bad food, writing, dabbling, playing Fantasy Football with his Pigskinz and Sundee Beerz League, reading a great book, and all sorts of music. While Colby has a bit of a bipolar taste in music, some of his favorite bands include: Band of Horses, Death Cab for Cutie, 2pac, Washed Out, Johnny Cash, Childish Gambino, Local Natives, The Beatles, Danny Brown, and Beach House. Colby is currently single and quite possibly ready to mingle. Colby has broken five bones, saved two children from drowning, been to Canada twice, and almost fallen into The Grand Canyon once. While he tends to miss things like Breaking Bad, eighth grade, Hey Arnold!, and Surge soda, Colby's excited for the future where he hopes to continue writing and doing the things that he loves.
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