So I know I’m only halfway through the Spanish lessons on Duolingo, but shouldn’t the title be Los Matandos Abrazos? Anyway, Google translate tells me it means “the killing embraces.” Speculations on Spanish syntax aside, Joseph Michael Wharton’s music is basically a checklist for music I look for to post on this site.
– sad but witty, self-effacing lyrics
– punk rock ethos
– catchy melodies
– twang
– pack-a-day cigarette voice (optional but preferred)
In other words, even if nobody in the world read this blog but me it would absolutely belong here. But I’m glad that you’re reading about this album! And I hope you enjoy it! This is very much a modern-day blues album. Instead of pitying the circumstances, Wharton chooses to pity the one thing we truly care about in the 21st century: ourselves…but, you know, ironically. But Wharton’s rock’n’roll swagger ensures that his perspective is neither pretentious nor posturing; it’s unapologetic and a little self-mocking. And that’s very much what flies here. If you’re reading this blog, you’ll love this album.
Joseph Michael Wharton — Bio on All Hooks No Looks Records, Facebook, Bandcamp