#matt learoyd

[mywifeleftme]

263: Motorists // Surrounded

Surrounded Motorists 2021, Bobo Integral (Bandcamp)

Rock ‘n’ roll is historically a cult of youth, but now that you’d be a little hard-pressed to find a parent who wouldn’t be kinda relieved their kid picked up a guitar instead of becoming a streamer, the genre is puttering into an increasingly Menzingerified future. As a late thirtysomething myself, I surely don’t mind seeing my peers continue to hang their shingles over at the local rock bar. One of my fondest memories coming out of lockdown was catching Toronto trio Motorists play basically the instant shows were back on the menu. Going out with a pal (blog gear consultant Haakon), tying one on, and semi-illegally pogoing with a small but enthusiastic crowd at an honest-to-God jangle pop show… if lockdown were a Warner Bros. cartoon this would be the kind of oasis-hallucination shit I would experience.

The Motorists lineup that recorded the 2020 cassette EP From the Wreckage, Vol. 1 and 2021’s Surrounded are native Calgarians with refined taste and fun musical resumes (Fahner has played in the essential Too Old for This Shit hardcore band Leather Jacuzzi, and alongside Learoyd in the fondly-remembered Feel Alright; Locke with Kiwi-flavoured indie rockers Tough Age and mini-legends Simply Saucer, plus he reviews for Pitchfork). Perhaps on account of joining forces in the economic meatgrinder that is Toronto, Motorists originally had a vague techno-dystopian concept that matched their nervous motorik rhythms and keening vocals (Wreckage has a kind of Pere Ubu meets Sloan thing going on), but Surrounded mostly drops that bit in favour of a more vibes-based lyrical backdrop. Despite this, the trio is much cleaner and more precise than most of the college rock bands from which they draw influence, which gives Fahner and Learoyd’s wistful harmonies the quality of someone staring out the window as a driverless vehicle does the work of transporting them.

The band sticks pretty closely to their template throughout, but every song is full of craftsmanlike touches that will delight vintage indie nerds and most bear fairly indelible hooks, particularly the R.E.M.-ish “Go Back” (returning from the earlier EP) and the new wave-y single “Surrounded.” While I miss the irresistible attack of EP-era tracks like “Instant Replay,” Surrounded is one of the most consistent albums to come out of the Canadian rock scene in a minute. Locke moved back to the West Coast around the time the record dropped and has been replaced with Toronto scene mainstay Nick McKinlay (an old pal, I should disclose), but the band has road-tested a heap of new material, and with any luck we’ll see another record from them one of these days.

263/365

[screamingforyears]

IN A MINUTE:

AN INDIE EXPRESS...

@thebugclubband are here w/ a brand new standalone single titled “QUALITY PINTS” (@subpop) & it finds the Welsh duo of bassist/vocalist Tilly Harris & vocalist/guitarist Sam Willmett repping hard for the three R’s (repetition/repetition/repetition) across 2+ mins of zestfully zipped & breezily breakneck PubPunk.

@notlayzi are here w/ “EVENTUALLY,” the lead single/track from their forthcoming EP titled ‘in between’ (7/12 @bornlosersrecords) & it finds Carissa Myre’s Boston-based project bringing the dreamily somber goods across 2 ½ mins of retro-leaning & hazily lounge’d TweePop.

“L.O.W.” is the latest single from @motor.ists’ forthcoming LP titled ‘Touched by the Stuff’ (5/24 @we_are_time@bobo_integral) & it finds the Toronto-based trio of Matt Learoyd (vocals/bass), Craig Fahner (vocals/guitars/keys) & Nick MicKinlay (drums) bringing a crunchy 2:45 clip of cosmically fuzzed & college_rocked PowerPop.

@thou_band are here w/ “UNBIDDEN GUEST,” the second single from their forthcoming LP titled ‘Umbilical’ (5/31 @sacredbones) & it finds the Baton Rouge-based outfit waxing upon “Physical deterioration by way of psychological disarray” across a murky 3:44 clip of gloriously aghast & crustily curdled SludgeCore.

[cdlistening]

Motorists, 'Surrounded' LP (We Are Time/Debt Offensive/Bobo Integral)

Tuesday, November 2, 2021, 6:45pm (full listen)

Newest entry in the musical world of Calgary ex-pat and bedroom garage pop maestro Craig Fahner, but this one skews more heavily towards a band thing, typified by a few tracks sung (and presumably written) by bassist/vocalist Matt Learoyd. Overall this is a leaner affair, too, than a lot of CF's previous outings, with a more pared-down & streamlined sound (which has drawn some comparisons to early REM and the like, which I do hear occasionally, but not as much as I would've dreamt of) and here we also find some more overt classic, spindly post-punk moves sprinkled throughout, moves that, that in days of CF olde would maybe have been replaced with a harmonized guitar lead or some sort of other (delicious) studious power pop adornment; the pool of reference points seems different on this one. Must shout out here to the crisp, clean recording sounds throughout; no details are getting obscured, and the record sounds meaty enough to take a bite of.

[daggerzine]

Motorists- Surrounded (Bobo Integral/ We Are Time)

This record is the first that I had heard of this Canadian trio. They’ve only been around for about three years and the band is made up of three old friends: Craig Fahner, Matt Learoyd, and Jesse Locke who had been in assorted bands together throughout the years (one of them is in the current version of Simply Saucer) but with Motorists these guys really click. I have to admit, it took me about three or four plays before some of the songs really started to stick but I must say, they are really sticking and I’m really enjoying the hell out of this record. The sound sound seems to go back and forth between jangly indie pop, 80’s college rock (there’s some definite nods to REM on here) and choppy/quirky post punk as well. The opening title track fits that bill of quirky post punk with a spoken word vocal over top a real wiry guitar while the great “Vainglorious” sounds like something that could have been on the Captured Tracks 80’s comp, Strum and Thrum. “Through to You” is is a near-perfect pop song while “Go Back” and “Turn It Around” are right up there as well with plenty of nimble jangle. “Natural Targets” has a nice little low end rumble going on with plaintive vocals sitting nicely on top and the choppy, post punk isms of “New Day” take a nice, little turn when it gets to the swaying chorus. Again, give this one several plays as intriguing nuances will pop up with each listen. This is one band I can’t wait to see live (assuming, ok really hoping they make it to the states for a tour).  www.motorists.bandcamp.com    www.bobointegral.bandcamp.com