Human Highway, Moody Motorcycle

Lush harmonies, deceptively simple melodies and subtle arrangements make this debut from Nic Thornburn (Unicorns and Islands) and Jim Guthrie a keeper. Looking like 60’s troubadours in buckskin, plaid and denim with Sir Lancelot and early Ringo Star haircuts the boys open with a compressed and flattened electric guitar strumming and a muffled 70’s drum kit on “The Sound”. Their harmonies are perfect as they dip and weave around a tale of searching for the ever-elusive “sound”. Their harmony soaked, laid back style hints at early Simon and Garfunkel, Peter and Gordon, or Everly Brothers. The whole project has a sepia tone varnish of melancholy sweetness that gets more tart with each lick. There are no duds here each song contributes to the overall concept. It feels simply constructed, as all good art does, but that belies both the depth and detail that awaits repeated listens.

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