Dr R Michelson 2024
Acceding To The Apocalypse
Maven of Armageddon dons his dusty suit and head for the crossroads to cleanse his soul.
Those who got inspired by the goodwill message of "The Water Is High" where Dr. Rich Michelson’s Music Of The Universe project streamed his “songs of love, lies, and freedom” to the sunny skies would do well to steer clear of its follow-up which thrives on controversy. One look at the titles of the Long Islander’s fresh cuts should reveal his current preoccupation with darker matters – or so one may assume upon seeing the idealistic “Love Is All We Need” share disc space with the hilarious “You’re Just A Pile Of Crap” or assessing the overall allure of “Acceding To The Apocalypse” – yet what may seem to channel doom and gloom will turn out to be a series of blistering blues epistles.
So don’t be misled by the intimate tone behind acoustic opener “The Cost” which finds the good doctor weave existential images between his slider-caressed strings without going against the grain of peaceful tête-à-tête – as opposed to the unhurried, though insistent, “I’m Looking For Answers” sung further down the line by Michelson’s wife Dee – but it’s not before deliciously dirty needles of Rich Fry’s guitars puncture the listener’s skin and serrated solos cut their souls that the artist’s angst and suppressed fury come to the surface. Still, if the infectious, truth-seeking “Too Much” is simultaneously soft and uncomfortable, and the harmonica-spiced “I Can’t Be Denied” struts the deceptively misogynistic genre staples with Chicago-styled chill, Dr. Rich’s genuine tenderness can be heard in “When Your Smile Has Left The Room” which reveals a new spatial aspect to his cool – ruffled by “A Test Of Our Love” and the philosophical finale of “History Repeats Itself” which refers to Beer Hall Putsch and other tragic events, yet not by the titular instrumental, wherein nothing grim or grimy would be able to dim the inner light.
It’s the same light that shone MOTU’s previous album, so those who won’t steer clear from “ATTA” are in for a treat.
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