Witness To Connection
Stratking Records
By Chris Homer
On their sophomore album, Texas’ The Morakestra creates a record of hook-filled rock songs built around multiple soaring guitar riffs and the haunting vocals of Will Mora. The LP’s tracks range from the acoustic folk sound of “Angel” to the upbeat Franz Ferdinand-style rhythms of “Tonight,” which creates a pleasing diversity for the listener.
One of The Morakestra’s biggest selling points on Witness To Connection are the addictive guitar riffs that populate every track. The band achieves a wide-range of guitar sounds on the album, including the alt-country tinged melodies of “Tell You Something.” The darker, psychedelic guitar sound on “Spacebar” is equally impressive, and the distorted soloing near the end of the track secures its place among the album’s best.
The Morakestra also comes through with powerful acoustic melodies on “Butterfly” and “Angel,” building a surprising change of pace into the record.
The band’s love for distorted sounds also helps Witness To Connection make a strong impression. The uniquely altered key and string parts of “Sunshine” will quickly have you intrigued to the group’s experimentation. Likewise, the punchy rock of “Hollywood” benefits from the heavy reverb placed on Mora’s vocals that give the song a fantastic combination of all-cylinders-banging rock and trippy noises.
The Morakestra also shines on “English Channel.” Here, the band starts with a delicate melody that later builds into a dingy, heavy ending. The song shows both pop sensibility and a unique style that belongs solely to The Morakestra.
Witness To Connection is a powerful effort. The multiple guitar hooks of every song give the album a pop-edge that makes it quickly enjoyable, while the heavily distorted sounds keep it sounding fresh.
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