Music: Simon P. Moore

SIMON P. MOORE

Tunes the young people will enjoy: Solo debut by Evansville guitarist explores the intricacies of folk and indie rock

It all began with a parking ticket. It was the early days of the pandemic and Evansville's Simon P. Moore felt little urgency to send in payment; instead, he let the bill sit around for awhile before scrawling plans for a solo album on the back of the envelope. The longtime musician - a singer and guitarist for past bands like Player X, Subotai and Kentucky Nightmare - had been keeping a list of solo songs he'd always wanted to record filed away in his brain for years. Quarantine offered the perfect opportunity to finally see the project through - Moore just needed someone to helm it. Enter Steve Tyner at Black Cat Recording. After discussing the vision for the album, the two set about assembling a talented cast of players that could provide accompaniment for an intricate collection of folk and indie rock tunes - "tunes the young people will enjoy," as Moore earnestly dubbed them. Indeed, any kid with a hint of musical taste should be all ears. From the bare-boned acoustic lament of opener "The Dynamic" to the ache and longing of ethereal closer "Last Kiss," these 10 songs cut deep, speaking directly to an impressionable young heart.

What's particularly striking about this collection is Moore's vocal delivery which, in keeping with the youthful theme, is full of wide-eyed wonder yet there's an underlying sadness that tugs at the listener on standouts such as "Our Simple Song" and "Meditation on a Pint." The latter, stripped of all instrumentation other than the gentle strum of an acoustic guitar and soft, funereal organ, contains some of the album's most poignant lyrics: "No one ever mentions that someday you will drown/ While everybody you love dies of thirst/ It's just the action of bubbles/ They rise to the top and then burst." It's devastatingly beautiful, to say the least. Moore, by the way, points to "Nightdreams & Daymares" as the peak of his wordsmith. Almost a sea shanty, the track seemingly sways like a boat out on the waves as he sings of "nine naked maidens," "dirty hippies" and other interesting characters. Musically, it's more fleshed-out with acoustic guitar backed by electric piano, drums and a searing electric guitar solo. Still, "Nancy" goes a step further with horns and woodwinds playing off a reggae beat and vibe, taking a page from Blondie's "The Tide is High." It's unexpected after seven tracks of folk and indie excursions but totally cool.

PHOTO CREDIT: ERYN CUSACK

The centerpiece of Simon P. Moore Sings Tunes the Young People Will Enjoy, however - both literally and symbolically - is "End of Winter" which intros with deft acoustic guitar fingerpicking before transitioning to a jazz shuffle as Moore, hauntingly double-tracked, sings "Spring is in the air/ You're not alone in here/ There are many others like you" in a tone that is at once comforting and disconcerting, summing up the conflict at play throughout this truly engaging work. In short, it's a complicated masterpiece.

Simon P. Moore Sings Tunes the Young People Will Enjoy is available on all major streaming platforms.

"These 10 songs cut deep, speaking directly to an impressionable young heart."