Blacktop Mojo: Dichotomy Of Lucidity
Sticky floors. Overpriced alcohol. The smell of cannabis which seems to be in every venue. Though the phrase started as a meme; nature is truly healing. After a long eighteen months, bands are finally able to return to the live arena. Currently on the road, BLACKTOP MOJO’s master of ceremonies Matt James calls us from the tour bus as they roll through the state of Tennessee.
It’s clear to see Matt has sorely missed live shows. “There’s something primal about a group of people coming together for a positive reason.” The smile accompanying the statement is almost as bright as the sun shining through the Zoom call. Like many other bands, BLACKTOP MOJO had to rely on livestreams to get their fix of playing. From Matt playing intimate set requests with bassist Matt Curtis, to teaming with CLUTCH for a larger scale, it becomes apparent reading comments of excitement pales in comparison to a rowdy audience. Immersed in the light at the end of the tunnel, Matt tells us. “Touring made the last eighteen months feel like a bad dream that we’re starting to wake up from.”
This string of shows has allowed the band to promote their new brew of Texan grunge. Releasing this month, BLACKTOP MOJO’s self-titled fourth album is “a big pot of gumbo”. From the soulful blues of Tail Lights, and country ballad of Hold Me Down, to the sexy rock n’ roll of Do It For The Money, there really is something for everyone. Naming a record after the band who made it projects the bold claim this effort is the quintessential experience. “We feel like we’ve got a handle on what our sound is,” Matt proudly states. With the seamless marrying together of so many different influences, this band has struck gold.
We catch Matt the day before BLACKTOP MOJO release the video for Wicked Woman. Inspired by horror movies such as The Crucible, the video was shot entirely at night and features the band running through the woods. Openly citing a woman who “communes with the dead” and aims to sacrifice a man to the “Mother in the sky”, Wicked Woman is enchanting from the get go. “It was around Halloween when I was writing that song,” Matt starts. “I was seeing all these posts about witches and it got my brain turning.”
As the album continues, we’re treated to a dissection of humanity. Cough has us confronting our mortality. Darlin I Won’t Tell divulges no partner is perfect. Jealousy’s smokey guitars infect the song as the emotion does the soul. Yet one song stands head and shoulders above the rest. Bed Tundy delves into the mind of famed serial killer Ted Bundy. With a cadence inspired by SOUNDGARDEN’s Drawing Flies, Bed Tundy has a hypnotic charisma many felt the subject had. “Ted’s a real polarising figure and serial killers are such fascinating people,” Matt comments as we talk about the phenomenon of wanting to understand the human psyche. “I feel like everybody has a darkness – not serial killer darkness – but everyone has that dark and light to them,” he muses.
The darker portion of the dichotomy is fully explored with Stratus Melancholia. Written in ten minutes, the song is a perfect example of pathetic fallacy. On a particularly bad day weather wise, Matt found the entire band’s mood had been impacted by “cloudy day bullshit” which had been the original title of the song. Pulling from influences in the realms of metal, Stratus Melancholia’s darkness is turned introspective. Struggling with the anxiety which comes from a new relationship, Matt soon turned to songwriting to exorcise that demon.
Many of BLACKTOP MOJO’s songs begin life as a single guitar riffs. While some songs are constructed rather quickly, others take a little longer. Nothing could be more true for Rewind, a retrospective look at a relationship which has now turned sour. The love child of BON JOVI and BLACKSTONE CHERRY, Rewind begs us to “live in the moment”. When asked why he thinks many people choose not to, Matt had this to say. “Truly living in the moment all the time is a hard thing. Worry about the future or regret about the past; that stuff can cloud the vision and cloud the current moment.” Adding many of us put complications on ourselves in terms of stressors and anxieties, he reiterates, “being perfect isn’t the most important thing.”
The wonderful assumption about a self-titled record is it describes the band as a whole. Their message, their attitude, and their ethos. A pause comes when we ask Matt to choose a single song which describes BLACKTOP MOJO. Plumbing for Do It For The Money, the band has been in the business due to the love they have for it rather than financial gain. “If you’re not in it for the love of the game, you’re in it for the wrong reasons,” he says, echoing a welcome sentiment of many bands. Especially in a time where the business hasn’t been as prosperous as it once was.
Ahead of their show in Johnson City, TN, Matt tells us the band added ZZ TOP’s iconic Tush to their set. With the sad news of Dusty Hill’s passing last month, his legendary bass heavy groove will live on. With a gratitude to those who came before in Chris Cornell and Kurt Cobain, BLACKTOP MOJO is a band rich in love for their craft. Their infectious positivity and penchant for letting the good times roll keep their own dichotomy well and truly balanced.
Blacktop Mojo is out now via self-release.
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