While the marketing behind West End Motel’s sophomore release is keen to
draw attention to the presence of Mastodon’s Brent Hinds in the band’s
ranks,
Only Time Can Tell is a far cry from the metal demigod’s
day job. Working with long time collaborator Tom Cheshire, rockabilly
and surf rock with strong flavors of Stax and Motown soul prevail, yet a
smorgasbord of disparate influences also insinuate their way into this
mix, ensuring no two songs are alike. Comprised of eight tracks, it is a
strangely weighted record in that the first three are drenched in
sunshine and drunken swagger, while the subsequent five are far darker
affairs. Opener “Burn It Down” sounds birthed on the beaches of Hawaii
in high summer as it sways and bobs along, while “El Myr” injects a dose
of reggae into its fiber, teetering along on the brink of collapsing
into a pleasant stupor, but it is “Witch Is Dead” that is the strongest
of this upbeat salvo. With a bold
Born To Run-era Bruce
Springsteen feel it manages to be uplifting and poignant at the same
time, driven on a surging horn-drenched groove that is intoxicating, and
it’s the kind of song that demands to be played again the moment it
falls silent.
