After releasing a brilliant debut full of lo-fi psych-pop splendor,
Doug Tuttle's second album,
It Calls on Me, delivers more of the same with a few alterations here and there. The former leader of the band
Mmoss is less heartbroken this time out, the recording quality jumps from extravagantly lo to very solid mid, and the overall feel of the album is less trippy and more relaxed. It sounds like he's fallen headfirst into a folk-rock meets country-rock mood, with plenty of gently strummed acoustic guitars, lots of jangling electrics, and vocal harmonies that would make
Crosby & Nash, and possibly
Stills too, proud. There are still enough fuzzy guitar workouts to keep fans of the first album satisfied and a couple tracks end with fiery jams where
Tuttle sounds like he's thrashing the speakers in his amp to within an inch of their lives. Mostly though,
Tuttle seems content to ride the breeze, sweetly crooning and strumming with barely any psychedelic effects getting in the way. It's almost hard to reconcile the laid-back dude of "Falling to Believe" or "On Your Way" with the bursting-with-energy guy of the first album. Only the guitar solos give it away and then, they are fleeting. It's less a transformation than
Tuttle showing another side of himself that was lurking quietly behind the fuzz and flange on the first album. Anyone who dug the fire and fireworks on that record may be a little let down by the different, stripped-down and almost nakedly honest feel of
It Calls on Me, but the overall excellence of the songs should help cushion the blow. With the less busy, more graceful arrangements, the beauty of the melodies comes through a little more clearly and
Tuttle's very fine vocals are allowed more space in the mix. It makes for a more emotionally deep listen, with fewer tricks to distract from the issues at hand.
Tuttle had already proven himself a high-level psychedelic wizard; with this album he proves that he's a singer/songwriter to be reckoned with. ~ Tim Sendra