Signing Choir preview

Signing Choir
Schubas, Chicago
Saturday, September 8, 2007

The old joke often holds true for actors: they really just want to direct. So, one wonders if the same adage hovers over musicians. Does the bass player in a band really just want to take on the role of lead singer? Whether or not Joey King consciously made the connection between this desire or the cliché, The M’s bassist went full steam ahead and completed a solo record under the moniker Signing Choir. The self-titled release finds King at the helm and flexing his multi-instrumentalist muscles.

Recorded in various studios in Arkansas and Chicago and even King’s own apartment in the Windy City, the album, out on Brilliante Records, retains an intimate, do-it-yourself quality. Just as “3 A.M.” sounds like a jangly early-morning outtake from The Basement Tapes, the album’s remaining 11 tracks also emit a vibe like they feel at home in the wee hours burning the midnight oil. Dylan and The Band comparisons end there though. Opening track “Motor” and “The Beths” incorporates a healthy dose of reverb that almost puts King’s vocals in danger. Maybe King doesn’t feel completely confident in his singing voice (for the record it’s not Freddie Mercury, but he knows how to carry a melody) or carries an affection for goopy guitars, but the music’s blips and beeps definitely take precedence over lyrics.

“They’re Making Love With Drinks So Cold” stands out among King’s other compositions. Ending with a string section worthy of Coldplay, the song squirms through various prisms as it struggles to find an identity. Fortunately, King never lets the song settle in one place.

Rock Plaza Central, Casey Dienel and LA Jesus open.

— Janine Schaults

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly