Amiture’s Sophomore Album Mother Engine is Anything But Amateur
Album cover.
It’s hard to find an up-and-coming band that combines as many unique sounds and styles as Amiture does on their new album, Mother Engine, which was released on February 9th, 2024. The duo of Jack Whitescarver & Coco Goupil describe their sound as an “emotional blend” of “underground dance music, R&B, British folk, and the blues.” The two artists came together in 2021 to work on their debut album, The Beach, after playing together briefly in college. Since then, they have greatly expanded their body of work, releasing both an EP and their ne album. Mother Engine’s mix of genres, while chaotic upon first listen, creates a hypnotic sound that sucks the reader into the industrial, grungy and techno EDM world of Amiture. Together, the two artists create a grimy and nostalgic record that is as musically cunning as it is emotionally potent.
“Together, the two artists create a grimy and nostalgic record that is as musically cunning as it is emotionally potent.”
In Mother Engine’s opening track, “Glory,” Whitescarver and Goupil start the album off with a bang by using a unique blend of ‘70s country guitar riffs, punchy drums and a mesmerizing vocal performance by Whitescarver. The track largely consists of repeating lyrics such as, “Drive alone I can’t look at myself,” “Glory glory to the one I love,” and “Wake up tied to a tree at night.” The story of the track comes from Whitescarver’s family lore and the hypnotic nature of repetition creates a spellbinding sound that pulls the listener into the unique world of Mother Engine. Whitescarver continues the pattern of repetition started by “Glory” in the album's second song “Rattle.” In the track, Whitescarver echos the lyrics “I’m ready now” in a similar way to how he repeated the lyrics in “Glory.” The guitar is very strong on this track, providing a grungy backbone to the song alongside some techno elements. The track comes from the lyrics, “Tried to regret it / Mother don’t remember life / Oh when you rattle / Oh when you die.” On Mother Engine, Whitescarver and Goupil showcase their ability to write complex and emotional lyrics that are consistently thought-provoking, and “Rattle” is one of the shining examples of their lyrical abilities.
Image courtesy of Amiture Music
The third track, “Billy’s Dream” has a much punchier start than the previous two, and tells the story of a troubled man losing control of himself. The track is definitely one of the more mangled and grungy songs on Mother Engine, but the muddy sound does a great job at telling the story of a man losing control of everything around him. The raw emotion in “Billy’s Dream” is conveyed perfectly through the intense instrumentals and vocal performance.
The fourth track, “Law + Order" employs many of the same guitar riffs as the opening “Glory.” The song continues the theme of restless discontent present in many of the album's lyrics such as, “I wanna kill these horses in my dreams / If I did it with a gun that would be merciful.” The fifth track, “Collector” also continues this theme through the lyrics, “I can’t live like this / Four hard corners” and “I’ll make a way to see myself / To hell and high water / One day I’ll make you, I’ll make you / See me, see me.” Whitesaver’s vocals on “Collector” are one of the more emotional renditions on the album, with his delivery beautifully reflecting the pain of the lyrics.
On the sixth track, “HWL," similar guitar riffs to “Glory” and “Law + Order” return once more, still mixed with techno beats that give this album its distinct sound. The guitar line here is particularly impressive, showcasing Goupil’s abilities at the forefront of the track. The song continues the theme of restless discontent through the lyrics: “How I suffer / How I lie awake / How the answer / Makes my mind ache.”
Image courtesy of Cyrus Duff
The seventh track, “Baby” employs a much more techno and EBM sound than in previous tracks. The lyrics, “I’m still like a baby / I cry like a baby / I lie like a baby / I want my mommy like a baby,” mixed with techno sounds create a track truly unlike any other on the album. The song stands out as a shining example of Amiture’s sonic versatility and ability to delve into more offbeat experimentation.
The band describes the eighth track, “Dirty" as the song “most indebted to early hip-hop production on the album.” On the track, the guitar, bass, and vocals all clash together in a way that creates a distinctive sound unlike anything else on Mother Engine. The bouncing 808 beat present on the track, as well as the risque lyrics and vocal performance delivered by Whitescarver make “Dirty” one of the most sensual and complex tracks on Mother Engine. The ninth track, “Cocaine," mimics themes of infatuation present on “Dirty” with the lyrics, “He is cocaine / He is cocaine / I love him, just like my father.” Additionally, the track further expands on themes of discontent and self-doubt that are present on the rest of the album through the lyrics, “And what I feel left out of my failure / And I don’t deserve you.”
The tenth track, “Porte Sosie," provides a nice instrumental interlude riddled with overlapping guitar riffs. The interlude transitions into the eleventh track, “American Flag,” which continues the repetition present earlier on in the album with tracks “Glory” and “Rattle.” On “American Flag,” Whitescarver repeats the lyrics, “Good things coming better now / Good things coming,” which pins a contrast between the grungy vocal performance and instrumentals present on the track. These hopeful lyrics Whitescarver repeats pair greatly with other lyrics in the song, such as “My days are longer / With angry doctors / They come and go / They hang on her door / I said rank and file her.” The static at the end of the song transitions perfectly into the closing track, “Swamp,” which conveys themes of content and finality, something not present on the rest of the album. Lyrics like “I know what I’ve done what I’ve done what I’ve done” and “So I’ll dance for my bread / So I’ll dance for my savior / So I’ll dance for my country / And so I’ll dance for my brother’s children” communicate a sort of ending to the story of Mother Engine.
Mother Engine is an album defined by its grungy instrumentals, unique, sonic combinations and lyrics that communicate themes of restless discontent and self-doubt. With this, Amiture truly comes out of the gates swinging on their second release, creating a wonderful indie record that is soulful, emotionally raw and unlike anything else released so far this year.