Lane Mocksfield – “Riverworld”/ “Mighty Mike Keeps It Moving”

Lane Mocksfield – “Riverworld”/ “Mighty Mike Keeps It Moving” – Singles Review

It is indeed tough to pin down exactly what is going on here, but there’s a freshness to it that I can definitely get behind.  As I put on these two singles for my initial spin, the uniqueness was tangible, the willingness to go against the grain and blaze his own trail was crystal clear, and the sound itself would keep me coming back for another round.  I never have singles for very long before I’m writing about them, as many of you regular readers know…but yeah…I felt like there was no problem at all in feeling like I could support what I was hearing.  As for labeling it, and describing it to you, that’s another story.

Like, take “Riverworld” for example…what kind of box can you put this in?  The predominant traits are actually rooted in Blues if I’m being completely straightforward with ya, but the vividly colorful and fully kaleidoscopic sound makes it so much more than that.  You could put this in the Indie/Pop section, you could argue that it definitely belongs to the Psychedelic genre and you’d get no argument from me, and of course, it’s instrumental at the same time, so you could find it in those categories & on those playlists as well.  Which is why, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve once again arrived at the conclusion that genres suck.  Just do what you do, the way you wanna do it, and let the chips fall where they may.  It doesn’t matter what someone calls something…I reckon it really only matters if they’re listening…the rest is just a bunch of extraneous details that don’t matter all that much to the people creating the tunes.  In this instance, you’ve got Lane Mocksfield doin’ his thang…and I feel like there would be a ton of listeners out there that would be into what he creates.  It’s artistic, it feels avant garde…it’s essentially his own recipe for a borderless style of music that’s unafraid to simply be different from the rest of what’s out there.  Obviously that’s going to get my vote nine times outta ten after all the music I’ve heard throughout the years and how the vast majority of it gets sucked into the sea of sameness – I just want to hear things being done differently, and Lane definitely qualifies in that regard.  Think of it like this – most artists and bands that would drown in the sea of sameness don’t even know that’s what’s happening until it’s way too late already.  I don’t think too many artists or bands set out to become a carbon copy, you feel me?  But it’s super nice to be on the flipside of the coin where that’s not even an issue that would come up.  The closest comparison you might make to what you’ll hear in Mocksfield’s music is likely what’s currently happenin’ in the music of Dope Lemon, but even that’s a stretch when it comes right down to it.  There’s less of a hippie vibe to a track like “Riverworld” without the vocals I guess…but on a musical level, sure, I think there’s a valid comparison to be made, and it’s really the closest one I think anyone would be able to make.  Clearly Lane ain’t looking to just be like everyone else, and I dig that.  Dude can definitely play guitar, and the authenticity of his ideas is certainly the biggest asset he’s got goin’ on.  He’s doin’ all the technical stuff too…so points for that…some of the production is straight-up outstanding, and he’s got a few spots where you can hear he’s got room to grow as well.  Lane’s gonna get the ‘less is more’ comment from a few of us out there listening, which is fair – he’s got layers upon layers of ideas working together at times, and as much as it can create a luscious tapestry of sound to listen to on a track like “Riverworld,” I think there’s still an argument to be made that he could also find a way to give his colorful collage of sound a bit more space for clarity’s sake too.  It’s interesting and engaging as it stands already though…and while it might take a few spins to sort out everything he’s doing in your brain as you listen, I’d much rather him be on that side of the fence than just doing the same things that everybody else is doing.  He can still sharpen things up and refine what he’s doing in a way that’ll give it a higher degree of accessibility I’m sure, but c’mon y’all…this is the kind of uniqueness you wanna discover out there in this zany music scene we share.  Lane is anything but typical…I dig that.

As for this other track, “Mighty Mike Keeps It Moving” – I might be even more partial to that track if I was forced to choose a favorite…but to be real with ya, Lane’s on significantly solid ground no matter how you slice it – both of these tracks check all the right boxes for me.  I don’t expect everyone to ‘get it’ and neither should he…but I do think those that do are bound to become fans for life pretty damn quick.  For a dude that basically does everything DIY, I think you gotta give this guy a shit ton of bonus points…there’s all kinds of commendable stuff goin’ on in a track like “Mighty Mike Keeps It Moving.”  I’m still not saying there isn’t further room and space for him to evolve and refine his craft even further…of course there is, that’s true of just about everybody and they should WANT that – but…you don’t wanna put limitations on this kind of creativity.  You wanna stand back, let this dude do what he does, and marvel at what he comes up with.  Suffice it to say, the production plays a significant role in the sonic allure of a song like “Mighty Mike Keeps It Moving,” and you can’t help but wonder how much time Lane has spent listening to Jimi and emulating his moves as best he can based on what you’ll hear him do with his axe.  Credit where credit is due though, he’s no simple derivative…you’d have to really be listening to even pick up on the influence, but I swear it’s there if you do.  In any event, I’m all about this no matter how you choose to define it, or whatever you feel like you wanna call it – what Lane Mocksfield is doing is wildly enticing, and has a whole aura to it that just feels great to listen to.  I don’t know that revolutionary is quite the word I’m looking for, but there’s something special here that feels like we’re on the cusp of something even more extraordinary.  The creativity you’ll find in what Lane creates is straight-up off the charts, this much I know…and if I had to base my opinion on these two tracks alone, believe me when I tell ya, I feel like his music is never going to leave my playlists.  He’s already a master of expression, and that’s one hell of an addictive vibe to stumble onto as a listener.  He’s unpredictable in all the right ways, and while he keeps you guessing as to which way he’ll choose to twist his music or what avenue he’ll turn down next, tracks like “Mighty Mike Keeps It Moving” confirm that no matter which direction he goes, you’ll want to go along with him.

Find more music from Lane Mockfield at his official channel at YouTube here:  https://www.youtube.com/@MocksMusics

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