Western Ware

Western Ware is an album by the American synth-pop/electropop band Hyperbubble from Fellowshipwreck released on February 26, 2017.[2] An aim of the collection was to follow through on the promise of band member Jess DeCuir to "plan to produce, mix and create the first electro Country & Western LP" since the work of Gil Trythall.[3] One reviewer noted that the recording also marked a change for Hyperbubble in that while Jess is regarded as "the voice of band, ...on this album Jeff (DeCuir) cleans up rather nicely as lead vocalist on a good number of tracks."[4]

Western Ware
Studio album by
Hyperbubble
ReleasedMarch 7, 2017
RecordedJuly 1, 2016
StudioRehearsal Room Studios, Nashville, Tennessee,[1] 2002, Glen Campbell's home, Phoenix, Arizona, February 19, 2016, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, Texas
GenreSynth-pop, electropop
Length29:48
LanguageEnglish
LabelFellowshipwreck
ProducerJess and Jeff DeCuir
Hyperbubble chronology
Music to Color By
(2016)		 Western Ware
(2017)

The album includes Aleah Metzger Hendricks on all backing vocals for "Queen of the Roller Derby" and adding backing vocals to four other tracks. Their cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy" features Rikki & Daz's John Matthews (Ricardo Autobahn) accompanying on synthesizer and Daz Sampson as MC. Their contribution was recorded at Glen Campbell's home at the time they recorded their own UK Top 20 version of the hit song.

Most tracks cover popular songs by noted country music artists with two exceptions. One is the short track "Luminaria," recorded live at the San Antonio Museum of Art during the citywide event of the same name.[5]

The second is the debut of "Digital Cowboy," the title track composed but never produced by Our Daughter's Wedding for their 1981 album.[6] For this song, Our Daughter's Wedding member Scott Simon performs with Hyperbubble on lead synthesizer.

The album title incidentally copies that of a single Hyperbubble previously recorded for a 2011 compilation entitled Western, produced by Winter Records.

Critical reception

The release was called "a rare crossover" Country and Western album that "is synthpop at its core;" "a wild west of urban cowboys, honkey-tonk angels and truck-driving women."[6][4] Through "a hoedown of bouncy and bombastic country-western covers," band members Jess and Jeff DeCuir dubbed "electronic music's own Carter & Cash" eschew the "twang and wail of traditional country instruments."[7][8][6] As a substitute "on the 'Nashville in the 23rd Century' rendition of 'Boney Fingers,' Jess DeCuir's theremin is a most perfect Country instrument as it hauntingly twangs."[8] Pansentient League reviewer Jer White wrote that "Hyperbubble are fast becoming the masters of conceptual synthpop, what with this delightful album and things like last year's synthpop coloring book Music to Color By."[6]

Their "The Electric Horseman" was described as "a meaty take on the instrumental from the Robert Redford film of the same name" and that it represents an "extended (version) from the original which incidentally also featured a sequencer line."[8] Chain D.L.K. gave the album 3 out of 5 stars[4] and Pansentient League named it a Top Ten for 2017.[9]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Guest musician(s)Length
1."Y'all Come"Arlie DuffAleah Metzger Hendricks2:01
2."Jolene"Dolly Parton 2:42
3."Boney Fingers"Hoyt Axton, Renee Armand 2:51
4."Truck Driving Woman"Roland Pike, Johnny WilsonAleah Metzger Hendricks2:01
5."Luminaria"Jeff DeCuir 0:16
6."Bar Wars"Buzz Cason 2:55
7."Queen of the Roller Derby (featuring Aleah Metzger Hendricks)"Leon RussellAleah Metzger Hendricks2:30
8."Rhinestone Cowboy (featuring Rikki and Daz)"Larry WeissRikki & Daz3:05
9."Digital Cowboy (featuring Scott Simon)"Keith Silva, Scott Simon, Layne RicoScott Simon, Aleah Metzger Hendricks1:26
10."The Rubber Room"Porter WagonerAleah Metzger Hendricks3:27
11."The Electric Horseman"Dave Grusin 6:34

Personnel

Musicians

Additional personnel
  • Aleah Metzger Hendricks – vocals
  • Scott Simon – synthesizer
  • Daz Sampson – MC
  • John Matthews – synthesizer

Production
  • Producers – Jess and Jeff DeCuir
  • Head engineer – Hyperbubble
  • Engineer for Daz Sampson vocals – Ricardo Autobahn
  • Photography – Hyperbubble, Joe Wallace

References
  1. Hyperbubble 7-1-16 Western Ware recording sessions, Nashville, TN. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  2. Western Ware
  3. Lai, Chi Ming (December 20, 2014). "HYPERBUBBLE Interview". The Electricity Club. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  4. Mecca, Steve (February 19, 2017). "Hyperbubble: Western Ware". Chain D.L.K. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  5. Hyperbubble 02/19/16 - Hyperbubble performing live at LUMINARIA. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  6. White, Jer (February 27, 2017). "HYPERBUBBLE – Western Ware". The Pansentient League. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  7. Levy, Rob (February 15, 2017). "Hyperbubble Mixes Boots And Beats On Sixth Album, Western Ware". ALIVE Magazine. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  8. Lai, Chi Ming (February 26, 2017). "HYPERBUBBLE Western Ware". The Electricity Club. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  9. White, Jer (December 24, 2017). "Top 20 Synthpop Albums of 2017". The Pansentient League. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
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