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For even some of the most talented, well-established artists, working with a new producer can really shed some divine light on sonics and take things to the next level. And there’s plenty of proof in today’s premiere from Marcus Morales.
Both solo and alongside his backing band The Chorizo Grease All-Stars, this singer-guitarist has been developing his distinctive variety of ambient-psych-blues-rock and busting his hump here in Austin for the past decade and a half. Morales made his studio debut with two tunes in the summer of 2017, that, when paired together, really illuminate mastery over the light/heavy dynamic spectrum in Morales’ song structures and carefully orchestrated arrangements. That tasteful contrast really shined on Marcus Morales’ 2019 debut EP Bohemian Groove, albeit with a more-refined, harder-hitting sound.
Recently, after flexing immense A Momentary Lapse of Reason vibes on last January’s “Headspace”, Marcus Morales has enlisted the help of producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith at The Bubble to glow up an already-great track. This precedes plans for a whole new string of singles on top of statewide tour stops and local residencies, all of which ought to feature Morales in top form. And today, Frenchie, Morales, and The Chorizo Grease All-Stars blew us away with “Damned If You Do…”, whose hard-blues-rock second-and-third act structure channels Johnny Lang, but whose processed lead guitar tones and sultry intro scream David Gilmour. As a result, this fine-polished psych-blues blend transcends decades and genre tastes for one of Morales’ strongest standalones to date. It’s not really a Catch-22; just go ahead and click “play” on “Damned If You Do…”.
