Authors & Audio - The Man With the Octopus Arms

Authors & Audio

The Man With the Octopus Arms
self-released; 2015

4.0 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Matt Jensen

Sometimes there a fine, thin line that separates bands who play the same genre. The little things can differentiate between good and great bands. I bring this up because I had a realization when listening to the double album The Man With the Octopus Arms by Authors and Audio that there are thousands of bands who are barking up the same tree that they are but very few are doing it this good. Authors and Audio is a certified rock band and a good amount of the seventeen songs have their roots in music from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

One thing I thought to myself is that this record had the glue I appreciated from albums made in the ‘70s. I’m not here to say whether digital or tape is better but I had a feeling this album was recorded to tape and that was later verified when I read a little bit about the band. Of course it takes more than someone who still knows how to operate a Studer A800 to make this album work.

Double albums are becoming less and less consumer friendly and with the advent of streaming audio companies and most record stores closing down people are listening to music the same way. I’ll tell you right now you will listen and appreciate music more if you take time to visit a record store, pick what you want and look at the cover art. Some of the focused listening has been lost in my opinion now that we have millions songs at our fingertips. I bring this up because The Man With the Octopus Arms is an album that deserves the effort it takes to get through seventeen songs with no filler. It may take awhile but I promise you if you have a good taste in music you will not be disappointed.

One thing I can say about The Man With the Octopus Arms is the singing is good sometimes but the great playing is exceptional. Some of the lead work on this album is worthy of rewinding a couple of times. The very first track displays this. Multiple guitar shreds and the riffs gave me a feeling like I was back in 1976. The following track “Brother” doesn’t disappoint either as the beat and rhythm makes you groove. I was impressed by the loose, dynamic vocal performance.

The band can wear multiple hats but one of my favorites was the organic folk/blues you hear on “Witch Under My Roof.” Everything works here. “Sunrise” is one of the harder songs on the album that brings to mind AC/DC while “Tape” contains with David Grohl type growls and blues inspired leads.

Out of the seventeen the band is incredibly consistent. I of course leaned towards certain songs but there weren't any duds. Love the sound, love the vibe - need I say more.

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