After more than 30 years, perhaps it’s time we got comfortable with the fact that Moviola isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Earthbound (Dromedary) is the latest in string of “comeback” albums for the Midwestern indie-rock stalwarts. On its 11th release and first in three years, Moviola sounds awfully comfortable in its own skin—a shade world-weary perhaps, but no worse for the wear. And with age comes clarity: Recorded in Brooklyn, Brattleboro, Vt., and the band’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio, Earthbound is by far the can-do collective’s most together-sounding effort. It’s as if after three decades, Moviola has finally figured out how to be an actual band. And none too soon.
We’re proud to premiere Earthbound today. Here’s a breakdown of the album from Jake Housh, Greg Bonnell, Jerry Dannemiller, Ted Hattemer and Scotty Tabachnick.
—Hobart Rowland
1) “Dark Cloud”
Bonnell: “Maybe it’s more like eight or nine … an ode to vitamin D and fresh starts. Squeezing out a little optimism amid the long haul of life.”
2) “Kid Familiar”
Tabachnick: “There’s a lot of comfort in old friends and familiar songs, even from all the way across the country or when buried by static. Love radiates through life … warming. And we can fill in the blanks.”
3) “Earthbound”
Housh: “Contemplating what it means to be a grounded person and the consequences of being ungrounded. Also, the idea of someone on the comedown from chasing highs. Truly appreciating that we’re all earthbound seems like one of the keys to being a grounded person.”
4) “Dancing Divorcees”
Dannemiller: “If you’ve ever driven I-75 in part or in whole, you’re sure to encounter similar gypsy visions along its 1,786 end-to-end miles. That, and memories of sitting in a bar in eastern Kentucky listening to George Clinton.”
5) “Questionnaire”
Bonnell: “Whether the scale is big or small, there’s always a tradeoff or a bargain or a fight. And sometimes that makes it hard to gauge whether it’s just you—or the whole world is off its rocker.”
6) “Called Your Name”
Hattemer: “A reflection on watching folks you care about go through tough times and wishing you could be the catcher in the rye for all of them.”
7) “Hillbilly Effigy”
Housh: “I was born in Middletown Hospital years before Vance, and my initials are J.D. (Jason Downing). I recognized everything about the place described in Hillbilly Elegy, including the summers in Kentucky. But I could tell by the end of the book—and its hype—that this guy is a phony. He never deserved being anywhere near Sen. John Glenn’s seat, let alone the White House furniture.”
8) “Sittin”
Housh: “The midlife metaphors are many. A song about sitting around waiting. Also a song about sitting with stuff until it gets resolved.”
9) “Gathered In Bloom”
Tabachnick: “My father didn’t age well—his gloom was hard to budge. For the last five years of his life, we FaceTimed every night, and I made many trips from Vermont to see him in Cleveland. Most nights, while draining my rocks glass, I tried to convince him that his cup was half full.”
10) “Knocked Down”
Bonnell: “Just minding your own business doesn’t guarantee you won’t get blamed. Something slinky this way comes.”
11) “Stunt Yer Growth”
Dannemiller: “Note to self: Wistful nostalgia is a trap; no passing judgments, no sending omens.”
12) “Long Gone”
Hattemer: “It’s about knowing you should change your ways, but bowing to the long-standing habits one develops with longtime friends and family.”
13) “Slage Wave”
Bonnell: “A song of the taken advantage of, hummed by the willfully oblivious. It isn’t quite that simple, but nevertheless, fight the power with guitars.”
14) “Close To The Light”
Hattemer: “A reflection on what isolation feels like when everyone else seems to have figured shit out and is moving along with their lives.”
