Movers & Shakers, Boston’s prodigies of all good-things Americana, performed a tight nine song set at the Middle East Downstairs on Thursday, March 25th. Movers & Shakers’ music encapsulates some of the best elements of Americana: A fusion of rock, country and blues that form a fluid, sometimes gritty, simultaneously mournful and uplifting sound that hits as comforting and familiar even when it’s brand new. Their vocals are strong, at times melancholy and always imbued with a playful twinge of country twang that lends itself to both rambling rock songs and slower, mournful ballads. The balance of alt-rock lamentations and bluesy warbles blend harmoniously to bind the songs to each other, creating a cohesive overarching feel to the music that allows the group to shift focus to different styles ingrained in their work.
The instrumental work is strong: Rambling country-rock guitar sounds break into darker crescendos as effortlessly as they spin into freestyle breakdowns that showcase elements of bluegrass and jam bands. Drum work is tight, forceful without being overpowering, a solid and deep rhythm while the use of symbols adds a layer of metallic dissonance that comes across as being a necessary punctuation to the music. These musical layers inter-weave to create songs that ring as comforting, enjoyably familiar and accessible without being a rehashing of previous styles.
Movers & Shakers have carved their name through their catchy Americana offerings, energizing songs that draw equally from rock and country, bluegrass and rambling jams that all sounds fresh without sacrificing the portmanteau essence of the genre. Indeed, stepping into their music is a homecoming of sorts, a return to the classics ingrained in our musical consciousness that simultaneously challenges the audience to experience those classics in new ways. Movers & Shakers consistently re-examine the roots of American music to create glittering songs that blend dynamic vocals, talented guitars and solid rhythms to create the unique sense that their music is not something heard but something remembered.
--Meghan Guidry
