Through the dreamy, waning haze that is Mk.gee’s (Michael Gordon) debut album, Two Star & The Dream Police, the New Jersey singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist finds the same passion (and confidence) in his voice as he does in his guitar. While echoes of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Bon Iver and even Frank Ocean ting his nuanced, neo-80s style, it seems that everybody that’s touched this album this year comes out different on the other side.
Mk.gee melds ethereal bedroom pop and alternative R&B that just barely sits on the edge of the genre, however, there’s a certain push-and-pull that feels otherworldly yet nostalgic on Two Star. Tracks like “I Want” and “Candy” sound like songs you’ve heard before, but can’t quite place your finger on. Highlights such as “Alesis,” “Rylee & I” and “Are You Looking Up” is music from a bird’s eye view – filled with detours, abstractions and other quirks that take your eyes off the road (even for a split second).
He mysteriously drawls throughout much of the 12-track LP, whispering between the ebbs and flows of his inimitable guitar playing. This, though, is the beauty of Two Star & The Dream Police: It’s intimate yet expansive, a fever dream in final form. So alien yet so human.
Feeling like you’re stumbling through a blinding fog in a dark forest, Mk.gee’s raw, profound songwriting admittedly emulates the energies of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. Evident in his work with Dijon, notably on the visual performance of ‘Absolutely’, Mk.gee has been searching (and working towards) this fully realized sound for years. Grazed on previous records like Pronounced McGee and Museum of Contradiction, Two Star sees Mk.gee clear in his intentions, casting a spell with timeless, impassioned tracks that feel larger than life despite its softness. If there’s anything I hate about Two Star & The Dream Police, it’s the fact that I didn’t hear it sooner.
Listen to ‘Two Star & The Dream Police’ below!