I’m not a lawyer, which undoubtedly enables a number of people to sleep better at night. So the difference between a band and a collective is partially lost on me. The one thing that does seem to be the case is that it enables an easier time of rotating musicians in and out of the cast. The Tasty Kings leader, Andrew Morse, is leveraging that on the collective’s new album, The Kindness of Numbers. Featuring the Sexton brothers, Charlie and Will, on guitars and vocals, the record takes a trip through the New York City and London rock and roll scenes of the 70’s and 80’s.
You can start with New York Times, an autobiographical anecdote from Morse’s time spent with his girlfriend in a cheap NYC hotel. Charlie rips out a Stones-worthy searing guitar lead for it, perhaps influenced by his studio work with Keith. That same style of riff, this time performed by Morse, makes itself heard on After You’ve Gone, a break-up song that strips the arrangement down to its basics. That straightforward rock and roll attitude gets a little murkier on Something In the Subway. It has that bluesy-punk sound of The Velvet Underground in a horror story about the New York subway, with everything from the rats to the smell to “the black hand of my fate.” Speaking of Lou Reed, Fix My Head is what he might have put out if he’d been in LA for the 80’s.
Morse and co-producer David Boyle balance the power chord aesthetic of the rock and roll with some emotional stories and snapshots well-suited to their folkier, almost country style. Brother Will nails the singer-songwriter vibe on Just Like Home, a nostalgic meditation on New York’s Central Park and London’s Hampstead Heath. Will also nails the vocals on the bluesy End of the Line. Old Ford is an emotional journey through a car’s life, as sung by self-professed car guy Charlie. Tess of Soho is a picturesque folk rock number where Morse describes a former friend who has “coconut lips with a velvet pale.”
Concept albums have kind of fallen out of favor lately, but I still admire an artist who can create a sense of time and place across an entire record. Andrew Morse and his bandmates, The Tasty Kings, have done just that with their latest project. So close your eyes and let them whisk you away with The Kindness of Numbers.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.