Emperor X – “Western Teleport” – [Bar/None Records]

humana   6/4/2013   12-inch, A Library

If you want to read the lyrics to these short songs, they are printed on the album sleeve. I found them fascinating, covering topics such as how a girl looks like a Cylon (A1), military fanaticism (B2), and broken air conditioners (B3). In fact, while I was trying to intuit the artist’s background from his lyrics, I guessed that he had some military background, or at least a great concern for military topics. Matheny’s voice is easy to decipher, which is good for this type of folk singing, and his acoustic guitar provides a nice, usually upbeat accompaniment. Sometimes there is a sort of tape hiss sound that reminds you of differing forms of communication. In all, this is a satisfying listen.