Ali Maas and Micky Moody have announced the release of their second album, "Who's Directing Your Movie?", due out July 31 on Last Man Music.
Known between them for their work in bands such as WHITESNAKE, JUICY LUCY and MCQUEEN, the husband-and-wife duo's new LP is the follow-up to the acclaimed debut "Black And Chrome", released in 2016.
The pair set out with a defined mission statement to encapsulate the personal and wider feelings they wanted to share on the record.
Written and recorded throughout 2018 and 2019, "Who's Directing Your Movie?" is a journey through genre and style, yet tied together by the core inspirations of classic storyteller songwriting such as Bob Dylan and Richard Thompson; and ultimately the crafting of a unique voice in unison from this. The stylistic shifts in the album, which touches upon everything from bluegrass, folk, Americana, and classic rock, are inspired by artists such as Robert Plant's ability of reinvention.
"We wanted to create a record which could be a commentary on our own personal journey and also ask a few questions about what is going on in the world," Maas and Moody say. "It is a nod to both of our pasts, but also looks forward to a new path."
Opening track and lead single "These Times" is a defiant and ever-more-so-pointed protest song that is as scathing as it is a rally to the heart, while lighter moments of hope also peek through in songs such as the meditative "A Sunset And A Dram".
The duo's erudite ability to weave sometimes heavy lyrical messages to captivating accompaniment and swampy rhythms is evident in the gothic slides on "All The Bastards In The World" and the Bo Diddley-influenced "Where Does It Leave Me?", written with Alan Glen (NINE BELOW ZERO, YARDBIRDS). Yet amongst the defiance and the scathing critiques of the world's ills, ultimately "Who's Directing Your Movie?" concludes with messages of hope and endeavor.
On penultimate track "Crazy Leap Of Faith", Ali and Micky say: "This song is about taking a chance and leaping in out of your depth. There is freedom to be had out there. Sometimes it's scary but it's got to be done. And we sing this one together, because it's kind of about us… Whilst on the final track of the album, these leaps are shown to be acts of responsibility to ourselves: Many of the great old blues songs carry a message about lessons learned in life and we wanted to pay homage to that tradition. It talks about owning your decisions and accepting responsibility for your own actions instead of laying the blame at someone else's door. It ends with the title of the album 'Who's Directing Your Movie?' The implied answer is 'You are!' Get out there and live…but live well.'"
"Who's Directing Your Movie?" track listing:
01. These Times
02. Get A Mind (And Change It)
03. Destination Heartache
04. All The Bastards In The World
05. A Sunset And A Dram
06. The Walk Of Shame
07. Where Does It Leave Me
08. Emotional Powder Keg Blues
09. Crazy Leap Of Faith
10. What Place Has Blame?
