Eamon Ra: “Meat Bones Chemicals Electricity” (2020) Vinyl Review

Things are a little nutty out there, no question about it. And as more and more people are being asked to remain at home until this crisis passes, it seems an opportune time to dig into some new vinyl releases. Take advantage of this time off from work, at least until financial worries push all joyful thoughts from our minds. Eamon Ra is the new project of Seattle-based singer and guitarist and songwriter Eamon Nordquist, whom you might know as a member of the Sterling Loons or from his guitar work on Truly’s albums. Eamon Ra’s debut album, Meat Bones Chemical Electricity, has a certain delicious 1960s sound, and there is even a playful nod to John Lennon’s influence on the back of the record cover, with the band being referred to as The Plastic Eamon Band. Of course, there is another joke in that reference, as the band in question is just Eamon Nordquist along with a series of drummers joining him on various tracks. Eamon Nordquist plays guitar, bass and mellotron. He has also created a book to accompany the record, with illustrations to go along with each track.

Side A

The album opens with “Future History,” a cool song with a strong 1960s British invasion vibe, and some psychedelic touches. It’s an overall cheerful sound, which I certainly appreciate. Plus, it’s a love song, and we can never have too many of those. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I’m getting memories I shouldn’t yet have/But you know that I know they’re true/It’s you and me in this future I see.” Michael Collins plays drums on this track. That’s followed by “Pitchforks And Torches,” which begins with sound effects of a crowd and church bells (ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for all of us, right?). The artwork in the accompanying book, by the way, is adorable, like an awkward teenage punk Frankenstein’s monster or something. Likewise, there is something kind of adorable about the song itself, particularly during that instrumental section, which I love. This song includes the album’s title in its lyrics: “They didn’t understand/Quite how he could just be/Meat bones and chemicals, electricity.” Mark Pickerel plays drums on this one.

The song title “Kiss Somebody You Love” is certainly good advice. When things are getting crazy (and they are certainly getting crazy now), we sometimes need a reminder to do those things that should come naturally. In this one, Eamon sings “Sipping cups at my café, I read the news like every day/It’s the same old stories, it never ends/But I keep reading ‘em just the same.” We are all fixated on the news these days. But what matters most are those important people in our lives. Kiss someone you love (unless, perhaps, you haven’t seen that person in a while; in that case, maintain a distance of six feet from him or her). Jeff Brown plays drums on this song, and on the one that follows it, “Fun To Be Had.” This is an interesting track, the song’s character seeming to urge folks to have fun, while the song itself has a somewhat sadder, darker tone. Plus, the song’s narrator isn’t quite to be trusted, as he tells us “Having fun, maybe you heard about the things I’ve done/Some were good and some were not so good, I admit/Having fun, maybe some things I should or shouldn’t have done/But nobody understands that they were fun.” Oh man, look out. That darker, more serious tone continues in “Nightingale,” which has a haunting, timeless folk sound. It is a song of death. “But no storm could stop the words that flew from nightingale/Asking only where his true love went.” This track ends with sound effects of birds and a distant storm. Though as the song ended, the chirping continued, and I realized there were birds outside my window.

Side B

The record’s second side kicks off with a cool, lively rock song, “Waiting For The Morning.” I love the sound of this track, which has a bit of a garage thing, a bit of psychedelia, a bit of punk. That energy is wonderful, particularly as he sings “Stop, stop it, stop it, stop.” There is also some good guitar work. The accompanying artwork in the book includes a sign on a building that reads “Meaningless Drudgery Inc.” Most of us at one point or other in our lives have been able to relate to that. That’s followed by “Happiest Day In History,” which, as you might guess, has a positive bent. Yes, we’ve got to keep up our optimism. It has been difficult to do the last few years, and even more difficult right now, but I like hearing someone wishing us the happiest day in history. Tim Meinig plays drums on this one.

Interestingly, the first line of the following song, “Simple But So Complicated,” is “She knows the way from happiness to pain.” Ah, that happiest day didn’t last too long. Has reality intruded? Like the dog in the accompanying illustration says, “Sunny days are fine, but they always turn to grey.” This song has a mellower, more introspective feel at the start, but does kick in and features some brighter 1960s pop elements (such as that “ba ba ba ba” vocal part which is reminiscent of the Beach Boys). There is something loose about this one, which works for the lyrics. “He’s lost his way, his sunshine’s turned to gray.” By the way, this track also incorporates the album’s title in its lyrics: “Meat bones and chemicals, electricity/Simple, but so complicated.” The album then concludes with “Such Good Friends,” a song about appreciating the people in one’s life, and letting them know, something we should do frequently, especially in these dark and twisted days. “I’m so lucky to have such good friends/And I really want to tell you again.”

Record Track List

Side A

1. Future History
2. Pitchforks And Torches
3. Kiss Somebody You Love
4. Fun To Be Had
5. Nightingale 

Side B

1. Waiting For The Morning
2. Happiest Day In History
3. Simple But So Complicated
4. Such Good Friends

Meat Bones Chemicals Electricity was released on March 6, 2020.