MOG

Texan Americana rockers Centro-matic and South San Gabriel are "brother bands," if you will, in that they are often vaguely indistinguishable. For instance, the core quartet of Centro-matic — Will Johnson, Mark Hedman, Scott Danbom, and Matt Pence — also make up the bulk of South San Gabriel. Another shared trait of the two groups is the name "South San Gabriel," which was used as one of Centro-matic's album titles before the group of the same name was eventually formed. If relations between the two groups have you about as confused as the particulars of Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel's family tree, Dual Hawks is here: a double-disc release featuring both bands that should clear up much of the mess for you.

Here, we have exhibit (or disc) A: eleven tracks from Centro-matic.

Centro-matic can safely be categorized among the likes of Pete Yorn, Wilco, Son Volt, and pals. They're what I like to call a borderline jamband, a Southern alt-country group with a good dose of '90s rock influence. Singer Will Johnson's vocals sound much like an early Pete Yorn in a slightly higher register, and a little less aloof. At times, Centro-matic plays uptempo alt-rock rhythms that bring to mind Matthew Sweet (see: "Strychnine, Breathless Ways") but without those ripping guitar solos. (Hey, we can't all have Richard Lloyd play on our albums.) In fact, there aren't too many high-profile solos on this record of any kind. Instrumentally, they're quite democratic. Each of the percussion tracks get just as much weight as the vocals as the rhythm guitar, and so on — an indication that there are no "stars" in this band, and it's intentionally so.

By the way, another influence heard in the most touching track on the Centro-matic disc, "Counting the Scars," is Neil Young, but perhaps it's difficult to write just about any heartfelt acoustic song without giving due credit to Mr. Young.

Lyrically speaking, Centro-matic steer a bit towards the melodramatic side of the road with an ever-present "I" or "you" or "we" involved — a sign of that '90s rock influence. "Strangled by the cellophane in the story of her life/ She got theirs and they got mine," sings Johnson in the opening lines of opening track "The Rat Patrol and DJs." Expect that cryptic lyricism from the rest of the album, too. "Don't you know it's your disaster now:" the refrain in "Two Seats Gold Reserved" might have been written as a personal call to awareness, but it may also be a reprimand to a certain politician that comes to mind.

If you'll turn your attention to exhibit (or disc) B: you'll hear twelve tracks from Centro-matic's more romantic kissin' cousin, South San Gabriel.

South San Gabriel, for many intents and purposes, sound very much like a sleepier, downtempo Centro-matic but with a few extra instruments involved. If you take away Centro-matic percussionist Joe Cripps and toss a handful of classical instrumentalists into the mix (including Matt Stoessel, Bryan VanDivier, Jeffrey Barnes, Buffi Jacobs, Tamara Cauble, David Pierce, and James Driscoll) you have South San Gabriel as they're known today. Of course, they're much more than that, too.

The second disc starts with a subtle, Dust Bowl, gringo-style acoustic line accompanied by long, smooth, baritone violin strokes. If you turn it up and close your eyes, you can hear the mourning before the first line of lyrics surfaces halfway through the song: "Emma Jane, I let you down." To Emma Jane, he sings, "But you're doing fine, you're doing fine," and by the second "fine," it becomes clear that he's really trying to talk himself out of his regrets. When one can say so much with so little — can pull a bow across strings as if pulling air from your very lungs — I believe they call that "art."

What makes South San Gabriel's music so beautiful, and effective, I believe, is the same reason that Edith Piaf was and is so adored and revered; it comes from their ability to convey intense sorrow through song. As Drive-By Truckers' frontman Patterson Hood told MOG in his recent interview with Faith-Ann Young, regarding South San Gabriel's contributions to Dual Hawks, "it may be one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard in a long, long time...absolutely jawdropping."

Those extra instruments also happen to make a huge difference. It's amazing what some classical strings, wind instruments and a pedal steel can do. Sprinkle on some post production filters and delay, and they're about one harp shy of a new set of wings.

The remaining eleven tracks following "Emma Jane" live up to the standard set with that first wrenching lament. Lyrically, they take us from regret ("Emma Jane") to despair ("When The Angels Will Put Out Their Lights") to questioning ("The Arc and the Cusp") to, yes, a mere sliver, but a pertinent slice of hope for this tortured soul's chance at love's rekindling ("From This I Will Awake").

Lead me to the promised land, please.

Dual Hawks, released in April of 2008 on BMI, was produced and recorded by Matt Pence at the Echo Lab in Denton, Texas. It can be previewed here and purchased here.