After Rochester bassist Peter Hughes exited The Mountain Goats in 2024, he fixed his attention on another passion: cars. Hughes, who loves vintage and unusual vehicles as much as good melodies, started an automotive podcast and resumed writing about cars, something he does distinctly well.
But Hughes, freshly (and amicably) split from his longtime band, also had some songs written. He could’ve recorded them at home, but he thought of a better idea. What if the people in his favorite Australian indie rock crew made it with him?
Hughes emailed Liam “Snowy” Halliwell, a member of the groups Pop Filter and The Ocean Club, asking if he might be interested. The answer (an affirmative yes) is “Half-Staff Blues,” Hughes’ first solo album since 2010’s synth-pop excursion “Fangio.”
Recorded down under, “Half-Staff Blues,” released last month, is an addictive bit of so-called “societal collapsewave” that tries to wring humor out of impending apocalypse. It’s clear which songs date back to COVID lockdown.
But they’ve also found new life in the capable hands of Snowy’s mates. “Suicide Cult” bursts from its initial mid-2020 quarantine recording to seize the moment, powered by group vocals that would’ve been unthinkable five years ago.
Topically, the songs are bleak. “Gary’s Song” profiles a retired Reagan adviser treating himself to a Corvette, unfazed by his role in global destabilization. A digital airhorn matches the capitalist grindset unspooled in “Fintech Vest.”
But the music couldn’t be looser and livelier. The warmth of the Australian coast resounds in every note, and the digital textures on “Barack Obama Playlist” ping like summer cicadas.
As a songwriter, Hughes’ approach to world malaise is grounded in humor. For a final thought, he offers “Log Off,” a brief acoustic ode to touching grass.
It’s what Hughes did. He just took a 22-hour flight to grab it.
