As Prefab Sprout once sang, “It’s a life of surprises.” Which is my gentle way of alerting fans of local ensemble Memphis Radio Kings—who play a CD-release show at the Tractor Tavern this Friday, April 7—that their brand-new album, Four, marks a bit of a departure. Blessedly, it’s not a “rude awakening.” But sonically and stylistically, the 12-track set utilizes a broader palette than previous MRK discs, an advancement further enhanced by savvy production from local stalwart Martin (“Mister Fruity-pants”) Feveryear.
“Somebody who only listened to our first few albums, and is expecting a traditional, Americana-type record, is going to be surprised,” admits drummer Tony Leamer. “And, honestly, so far people either really like it or they don’t. We could have easily made the last couple of records over and over again, but we didn’t want to do that.”
He credits much of the evolution to the addition of full-time fourth member Jon Goff, who, besides bass, also plays mandolin, keyboards, auxiliary guitar, and other instruments. “We wanted to exploit the opportunities the addition of a new member gave us,” Leamer concedes, “but in a way that would still sound like the same band. I definitely don’t feel like we went out and made a LCD Soundsystem record.”
Well, there are those jumpy synthesizer lines on “Frehley’s Comet (Fell on Me Tonight),” but the boys use them as an accent—just like the bells echoing throughout the childlike “I Want You to Fall”—rather than a predominant flavor. Overall, the disc is dominated by twangy pop with country overtones, and marked by a recurring trend toward juxtaposing upbeat music with darker, introspective lyrics.
In particular, the final two cuts on the album, “Shameless” and the blue-collar anthem and live-show favorite “The Fate of the Working Man” (the latter inspired by singer Charlie Beck‘s experiences as a Boeing employee), see the band staking out territory that tempers sharp political sentiments with just enough personal candor to soften, but not dull, their impact.
“These are dark times,” admits Leamer. He points toward the recent fuss—or rather, lack thereof—over Sandra Day O’Connor‘s comments at Georgetown University as a prime example. “Here is a Reagan appointee, coming out with a very potentially incendiary statement… and nobody cares! There is this feeling of helplessness. So as a musician with some reach, you want to share your beliefs with people. But on the other hand, you don’t want to become preachy.”
“This isn’t a protest record, or a Woody Guthrie album,” concludes Leamer. But being branded as an Americana act means that the band and its audience members don’t always see eye-to-eye on hot-button topics, and Four addresses those concerns. “There are people who come to our shows who probably aren’t necessarily in line with us politically,” admits Leamer. “We’re happy that they might enjoy our music, but we want to be clear about where we stand on some of the things that are going on.”
