ALBUM : Ecotone/This Town (2016)
I am once again interrupting the order of MVC to play a new album by an up and coming band.
The band is called When Particles Collide and it has an unusual story.
This is a wife and husband duo: Sasha G. Alcott and Christopher M. Viner.
That’s not what is so unusual, though. Remember Sonny and Cher, Captain and Tennille? Well, Sonny, this is no Captain and Tennille, (just thought I’d Cher.)
What’s unusual is that the couple — although playing locally and touring occasionally off and on from their home state of Maine — decided at the ripe young ages of 40-something to quit their day jobs to tour the country for 14 months. Doing that rock‘n roll thing. When I say country, I mean country. Their Unstoppable Tour, after dozens of dates in the great Midwest and beyond, WPC still has plenty more dates planned, ranging from West Virginia to Florida.
My ‘old man’s league’ basketball buddy Eric Stockman is a friend of the band and I listened to them play live on his porch here in the Birmingham metro area a few months back. I initially plannedto put my autographed record into my pile and do a post when the W’s rolled around on MVC. But given the fact that they are currently on tour, I just decided I’d go ahead and do this post.
They were great in their porch concert. A good friend bought me their album which Sasha and Chris graciously signed.
It’s a scorcher with stinging guitars and strong vocals from Sasha reminiscent of Heart’s Ann Wilson or Pat Benatar to reach back a ways for a reference. Way more Joan Jett and not at all Captain and Tennille. There’s also a Talking Heads, Suburbs artsy funky thing about them. (Suburbs, wow, pulled that one from some ninja brain cell that’s fighting off rogue proteins.)
I like the album a lot but I did miss one thing from the porch concert and that was a little softer sound such as when they did a gorgeous cover of John Prine’s ‘Angel From Montgomery.’
Coincidentally, I am also pleased to announce that they will be releasing, according to Stockman, an acoustic album. Can’t wait. And while I still have the mic, I’d request ‘Angel.’ And if the duo would consider a suggestion for a cool funky song befitting Sasha’s vocal abilities, I’d love to hear her tackle Sly Stone’s ‘If You Want Me to Stay.’
Meanwhile, listen to this rocker: