The Mighty High & Dry had to find a way to live through the pandemic, so they chose the same route that many musicians did. Quietly writing songs, even as the venues where they would usually be heard quietly went silent or closed for good.
The album that emerged from this pandemic pause is “Live. Wild. Love.” Live, because its foundation was recorded in 2019 during shows at Three Heads Brewing and Iron Smoke Whiskey. And live, because that’s what the best humans do: Live. Live wildly. Live with love.
The core of “Live. Wild. Love.” is Alan Murphy on guitars, keyboards and vocals. Alex Coté on drums sometimes, other times guitar, or harmonica. Eric Katerle on lead guitar. Kyle Vock on bass. They all sing, and they get plenty of help. In what Murphy refers to as “The Mighty High & Dry Assembly,” various tracks feature female vocals and horns aplenty.
If that feels like the kind of full-throttle rock you’d hear from Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes — or even The Boss, Bruce Springsteen — yes, it is that. Yet, The Mighty High & Dry doesn’t sound like it’s copying. It’s not coming from Asbury Park but the Genesee shore.
The Mighty High & Dry is all over the sonic map. “Misused/Mistreated” is a bluesy, Howlin’ Wolf animal, where leaving means “just grabbing my shoes and walking out the door.” On “Down By the Wayside,” Murphy laments “people not making the most of their time.” And “I Hear My Heart” is that old tale of “star-crossed lovers.”
A Van Morrison influence creeps into “Wild Love.” The horns are a part of that as well. And “Little Red Dress” is exuberant. With Zahyia Rolle sharing the load of the writing and vocals with Murphy, it comes off like a Tina Turner and Mick Jagger duet.
Jeff Spevak is senior arts writer for CITY Magazine. He can be reached at jspevak@wxxi.org.
This article appears in Jun 1-30, 2023.
