A great combination of vintage sounds and fresh songwriting. "Make It Real (Make It Better)" by Moodswing Whiskey is an album that manages to transport you back in time between the 70s and the 80s, while at the same time reaching the difficult goal of sounding original. The songs follow quite linear structures, but the patterns of the different instruments weaved together are intriguing in their simplicity.
The artist showcases a great versatility, switching from straight-forward punkish tracks such as "Automatic Futute History", to soft acoustic folk ballads (great examples could be "Crystal Water", or the conclusive "Slow Down"), and everything in between. There is a meticulous work behind the layering of clean and overdriven guitars, the former often providing delightful melodic lines and the latter filling the space with their warm tone, bluesy licks, and bulky chords. Additional stratifications are occasionally added by the keybords (rarely in the spotlight but always tasteful), while the rhythm section shows great adaptability, showcasing its muscles in the more energetic tracks and gracefully supporting the quieter ones. Moodswing Whiskey is also a master in creating tension through the dynamics: take for example the track "It's Getting Late", which starts as a quiet acoustic piece that builds up to an epic full-band explosion and then it winds down reprising the tender atmosphere of the intro.
The vocals are also noteworthy. With that nasal timbre that I can only describe as a hybrid between Bob Dylan and Francis Rossi (if someone has a better analogy please drop it in the comments: I'm sure this voice reminds me of someone else but I can't pintpoint who to save my life), the singer seems perfectly comfortable in exploring all the different moods that characterise this album. In particular, I found it perfect in conveying the underlying sense of gloom that I think characterise the whole album. I don't mean that the album itself is a sad one (the bandcamp bio of the artis also states that it's "music that makes them happy"), but I wouldn't be surprised if this music was a channel for the arist to process the not-so-happy feelings that everyone normally experiences.
I definitely recommend this one!