Max Clarke aka Cut Worms loves the style of times long gone. You can tell in every second of his 8-track recordings. Cut Worms is more than a look back to better times though: His debut album, Hollow Ground, is a collection of '60s-style pop ballads, and he effortlessly manages to balance that vintage aesthetic with his expressive songwriting. In addition to being a musician, Carke works as an illustrator and stays true to his preferences here as well: as you can see from the self-designed artwork of Hollow Ground, the vintage style runs through his draftsmanship as well. A constant balancing act between new ideas and love for the old: this can also be heard in his music. Again and again Clarke switches between electric, acoustic and lap steel guitar and creates the illusion of very simple songwriting through recording techniques. Some of his songs were recorded outdoors, sounding like demos, Clarke's voice cracking here and there as he sings of an old love. The warm sound of his songs sometimes reminds of the sweet sounds of the Everly Brothers or the Kinks. He breathes life into his simple lyrics with a pleasantly familiar nasal vocal, often reminiscent of Bob Dylan or John Lennon. Even when he sings "I'm mad about you" - you notice the balance that surrounds Hollow Ground the entire album. Everything comes together in a pleasing way: clean production that simultaneously retains the dusty, charming appeal of the grainy 8-track tapes. The album was recorded at Foxygen's Jonathan Rado's studio in Los Angeles. Together with Max Clarke's loving songwriting, they've created an album where even seemingly unremarkable songs never take a back seat. Each, of the 10 songs on Hollow Ground carries at least one elegant detail that deserves our full attention!
Lyrics source and more information about this event: http://www.schon-schoen.de/programm.html?month=201808
