Certain instrumental songs can shake up the fabric of the musical ecosystem. Link Wray’s “Rumble” brought the fuzzbox to the fore in 1958; “Green Onions” made kids want to sit down at Booker T. Jones’ Hammond organ in ‘62.
Other times, a wordless track can just be a vibe. A good hang. A companion.
Instrumentals of the latter variety happen to be Greg Townson’s bag. The frequent guitarist for Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets seems to feel most at home when a guitar does the talking. This is evident on “In Focus,” his latest record and sixth of instrumental compositions, released July 18 on 2-Bit records.
But characterizing the cuts as ‘breezy’ does them a disservice. The seven tracks here are brassy, with horn parts and arrangements from Nashville’s Jim Hoke that bring sizzling gusto. (Look no further than opener “Jack Rabbit,” a jazzy slice of nightlife featuring Alex Hall on drums.)
Townson’s guitar is the binding agent, but he also allows for fun vocal moments. The swaggering “Popcorn Dinner Again” features Mila Walasek and Todd Bradley singing the title as well as the words “shake, shake, shake” — reminding listeners of the mood.
Songs like “Two Steps Ahead” and “Katy Did” feel primed for pouring a drink, while bluesy numbers “Tough Cookie” and “For One and For All” could soundtrack a winding road trip under a vast sky. All of them reveal Townson’s penchant for lively, upbeat tunes built around — though decidedly not beholden to — his guitar.
Townson called “In Focus” his last full-band record “for the foreseeable future,” and said he’ll put his energy into figuring out solo guitar arrangements of his songs. If that’s the case, “In Focus” has the distinction of being one more entry in a catalog that says so much by simply playing it.
Patrick Hosken is CITY’s arts reporter. He can be reached at patrick@rochester-citynews.com.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
