Moontype are a band from Chicago who make what they call “earthy and earnest tunes.” Their latest release is the double single The Great Ohio / Not That Easy, two songs the band recorded separately. Bassist Margaret McCarthy provided vocals, Ben Cruz the guitar and Emerson Hunton drums, and then the band got together to mix the result.
Despite the less than ideal recording conditions, the songs are a great introduction to the Moontype style. Part Frankie Cosmos-esque bedroom pop and part crunchy lo-fi rock, all wound together with the sort of languid country influences you might find on a Sun June record.
Take ‘The Great Ohio’, with its gently turbulent combination of brightness and sadness, like an overcast summer afternoon. There’s a tension in the guitar and percussion that’s offset by McCarthy’s vocals, which walk the line between sombre and sincere. The country vibe comes to the fore on ‘Not That Easy’, a bittersweet track which sways it’s way through three minutes like a warm breeze that soothes a worried mind.
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The Great Ohio / Not That Easy is available now from the Moontype Bandcamp page.