Longtime Mother Hips and Green Leaf Rustlers guitar player and singer Greg Loiacono has released a fourth single from his upcoming album “Mystic Traces” (due May 15 via Blue Rose Music). The song is titled “Animal Clouds,” and features a guest appearance by Kyle Field of Little Wings. I thought I’d to write a capsule summary of all four songs available so far:
“Animal Clouds” – per my conversations with Greg, the song was recorded, produced and mixed by Scott Hirsch (Hiss Golden Messenger) in Ojai, California. It features Kyle Field (Little Wings) on electric 12-string guitar, Mikael Jorgensen (Wilco) on synthesizers, Brendan Willing on bass and Erin Sydney on drums.
Per Greg: “This was one of the first tracks that Scott and I laid down at the beginning of this project, and the last to be finished. It was also one of the first songs that I wrote when starting the process for a new record a couple years back. It resonates with me more now than it did back then.”
The song has a bright and airy feel to it. Kyle’s 12-string guitar work lifts the track. Well-placed trademark harmonies are abundant. The song’s lyrics take you to a sunrise setting in the outdoors, and the whimsical musical arrangement accompanies this distinctly. This could be a great song to start the day with — “too early to put coffee in your cup” — as the song describes. A good time for reflection.
“Chamberlain’s Trunk” – This song has Neal Casal as a special guest on guitar and harmonies. As Greg describes, this song arose from him wanting to write something about his experiences dealing with people with addiction. You can hear Neal distinctly about 1 minute, 45 seconds in, with a sparklingly clean guitar tone and soft harmonies. Great song. Good pairing of like-minded musicians. It should be noted that the production quality of all of these songs is very cohesive, tastefully done, with nothing remotely overbaked.
“Close Your Eyes (We’ll Be There Soon)” – Big Sur all the way. This is an island-y, outdoorsy, floaty tune as an ode to The Mother Hips’ annual festival, Hipnic, held in May at Fernwood Resort in Big Sur. If you’ve ever been there and taken the ride, this song fits perfectly. Perfect summertime drive song.
“San Felipe” – This song was the first single and immediately feels like a bit of a departure for Greg’s work, mostly due to the Latin flair, as the song describes a trip to Mexico with his wife Carolina, and her family. The duet with Jamie Drake is a fun and creative aspect to the song. Feels a bit like Greg is channeling the best of Chris Isaak here. Smooth guitar licks from Greg. Very fun song.
For the rest of the album, we’re going to have to wait for May 15 and the full release. Looking forward to it!
Listen:
- Audio of 'Animal Clouds
Watch:
- Video for “Chamberlain’s Trunk” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSE3nEZLyVY
- Video for “Close Your Eyes (We’ll Be There Soon)” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt60BGOxV8U
- Video for “San Felipe” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd8IhRi7ZlI
— Jon Siembieda
Related story: What’s going on with Greg Loiacono? A whole lot!
