Luther Russell’s 12-string Rickenbacker will get a severe exercise on “Proper Method.” The most recent single from the esteemed rock journeyman is a vibey, ’60s-soaked flower-power anthem for the post-everything period.
“I assume the sentiment is one in all accepting love—by no means the best factor to do for most individuals,” says Russell. “First, it describes this course of by way of a relationship between two companions. Then it expounds on letting in a extra religious love—a way more troublesome activity. The music goes on to narrate how simply a damaged dream can derail that acceptance of affection, inflicting one to devolve into darkness and despair. To place a finer level on that, I referenced the debauched Australian cult movie Wake In Fright.”
“Proper Method” is one in all 10 tracks on Happiness For Newcomers (Curation), Russell’s seventh solo album, out January 17. For the previous decade or so, the Grammy-nominated songwriter has been stirring up hassle together with his pal Jody Stephens—Massive Star’s drummer and lone surviving member—as These Fairly Wrongs. Russell has largely put aside that mission’s quirky folk-pop leanings for Happiness, a extra rock-focused affair that employs the appreciable abilities of bassist/engineer Jason Hiller, drummer Ben Lecourt and modern-day power-pop icon Jason Falkner.
Russell’s connection to Falkner goes again greater than three a long time. “We’ve been outdated mates since he was in Jellyfish,” says Russell. “Funnily sufficient, we’ve by no means recorded something collectively apart from the odd demo session. This time round, I knew the fabric was good for his musical contact. He performed keyboards on the title observe, a extremely particular solo on ‘Downtown Women’ and nice guitar leads and vocal harmonies on ‘Wanna Be Your Lover.’”
Russell and Hiller have been shut since their time collectively within the Freewheelers, a soul- and booze-drenched rock quintet that had a quick major-label tussle within the early ’90s. “Jason (Hiller) recorded these classes to eight-track tape with a Rickenbacker bass,” says Russell. “We all know one another so properly musically that he didn’t want a lot rehearsal or course to nail it. He acquired an unimaginable sound on this one.”
We’re proud to premiere Luther Russell’s “Proper Method.”
—Hobart Rowland
