MOTU is the project and stage name of Richard Michelson, which stands for Music Of The Universe, and here on his brand new album Acceding To The Apocalypse, it should be known that Michelson plays a variety of instruments on it, including acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro, pedal steel, bass, keyboards and harmonica.

Much like his 2023 release, The Water Is High, this new album features all original material, written, arranged and mastered by Michelson. And as on that earlier release, here he is joined by his wife Dee Michelson on vocals, and by Ed Modzel on drums, along with the addition of Rich Fry on vocals and guitar.

1. The Cost
2. Love Is All We Need
3. Too Much
4. When Your Smile Has Left The Room
5. A Test Of Our Love
6. You’re Just A Pile Of Crap
7. I’m Looking For Answers
8. I Can’t Be Denied
9. Acceding To The Apocalypse
10. History Repeats Itself

This dutifully ambient, and wholly impassioned new recording opens on a track that openly discusses global warming, poverty, pollution, racism, and gun violence, the constructively-hued The Cost and then brings us the veritable resolution within a veritable prog-grunge vibe that drives Love Is All We Need, then comes the harmonious rocker Too Much, and the harmonic soft AOR of When Your Smile Has Left The Room (a track that believes mankind is self-destructive even in relationships).

Up next, that theme is continued within the beautifully percussion within A Test Of Our Love and that is in turn backed by the Delta/Chicago-imbibed You’re Just A Pile Of Crap, and then we get a story about gun violence and politics within the powerfully sung I’m Looking For Answers, the album rounding out on the blues that drives both I Can’t Be Denied and the titular Acceding To The Apocalypse, closing on the hauntingly absorbent History Repeats Itself (a track that makes reference to the failed coup of Hitler in 1923 for which he was arrested).

www.motu.net