Right Click – Right Click
Right Click – Right Click – Album Review
Alrighty y’all…we’ve finally got our site all updated and running smoothly again, so let’s get some more of my opinions out there onto the internet! That’s what you’ve all been so patiently waiting for, right?
…crickets…tumbleweeds…
Well…whatever. I’m happy to be back doin’ what I do even if the majority of the population doesn’t even read anymore. Let’s talk about Right Click, a virtual band brought to us from the musical mind of Sid Hagan, who is joined by Brian Wooten, Marvin Taylor, and Mare Carmody at its core, in addition to the enlisted talents of players like John Spittle, Brent McCullough, and Michael Medina as well. I think we’ve got everyone accounted for…they’re all professionals that have been in the business for quite some time, and you’ll find that their combined experience certainly plays a role in how this album plays. They’re all musicians you can rely on for quality content, and they bring their best to every recording.
“Not Enough Time” kicks things off with a quaint quasi-Country type of sound…kind of like what you’d expect a gentle outlaw to create as they bring you declarations of peace instead of coming to rough things up. Love the guitar solo you’ll find in this tune, and I really dig the way the vocals come out as well. I’ll be real with ya…it’s got bizarre texture to the production that feels a bit on the rocky side of sound…a little gritty, you know what I mean? So on the one hand, you notice it…which can be a good thing in certain circumstances…and on the other hand, it can be a bit distracting from listening to the song itself. I’m generally all for it when I feel like it’s adding something to the experience…but I don’t know if that’s the case here. To me, “Not Enough Time” felt like a somewhat risky track to have added to this lineup as the opening tune with regards to its unique production…it kind of reminded me of what it was like to listen to a cassette that was missing one of its spokes, back in the day. The song itself seems like it’s a genuinely stellar tune that would benefit from a bit smoother fluidity and removal of any obstacles that would threaten that…to me, that’s what it’s really calling out for, in my opinion. As it stands, I feel like “Not Enough Time” is a bit perplexing in the choices that have been made for how to go about presenting it, but at the core of it all, Right Click reveals steady musicianship and songwriting.
Ahhh yes…”Sorrow” – I remember this song. I reviewed this way back in 2021 originally, and proclaimed that “it’s a miserable tune, but very much surprisingly pleasant to listen to” – and I stand by that. I know what you’re thinking – he hasn’t changed his mind about something he said? What a shock, right? My sarcasm knows no bounds, what can I say? “Sorrow” is still a solid song, and yes, I feel the same about it now as I did way back when – you can read my original thoughts on this advance single by clicking here. It does have slightly more of an even sound to its production across the board than the opening track seemed to have, which is interesting because the first four tracks on this self-titled record were all done at the same time, from what I understand. Anyhow…its lead-single status likely tells you just as much as I could…”Sorrow” ain’t gonna be the happiest tune you’ll hear this year, but it’s well-written & focused.
“Things I Missed” is probably the track in the first three that gets me the most interested in Right Click. I don’t even know that I’m here to argue that I love the entire thing to be truthful, but its strengths are super strong and a great indication of what works best for this particular band. This being a project with Sid Hagan at the helm, obviously we know the instrumentation, musicianship, and professionalism that he brings to the songs & the noteworthy names he’s enlisted to play with him all bring a tenured resume that speaks volumes on their own behalf, but for sure, you can hear the skill at the heart of it all. Solos are found in abundance throughout this record, and those that appreciate their musicianship will be happy to find that…the lost art of real instrumentation is certainly not lost upon Sid & his faithful crew of music-making cohorts. So…yeah…of course that’s on-point on “Things I Missed,” because you’ll find that the musicianship is always nailed down tight in every one of these tunes. What I felt was the most surprising aspect of “Things I Missed” was the massive imbalance between the allure of its verse & chorus, and the fact that I still came out with a wildly favorable opinion of this cut in considering all that. As in, the verses are absolutely fantastic, and the chorus I would have left on the cutting room floor. Usually when that’s the case, I’ll feel a lot more iffy about the material overall, but in this particular instance, I felt like the verses of “Things I Missed” were so good, rich, and detailed, that along with the expert musicianship accompanying the rest of the song, Right Click pulled out a significant win here.
LISTEN to that guitar on the way into “What Is That Light” will ya? Brilliant! Sid gets a lot of mileage out of the wonderfully warm glow in the vocals & harmonies of this song as well…crisp drums and a rhythm section that never lets ya down…all the right ingredients are where you wanna find’em. I could see this track being a solid winner with the majority of folks out there…there’s something universally soulful at the core of this cut, and I feel like that’ll resonate positively with the people out there. It’s got that sweet, laidback, unforced type of vibe to it…real natural like, you know? “What Is That Light” is one of those tunes that is tough to resist, even with its fairly simple and straightforward demeanor…and there’s something special about being able to pull a track like this off. I’d be the last to tell ya that “What Is That Light” is doing much of anything that we haven’t all heard in some way, shape, or form throughout the vast scope of music’s history, but just like a good story you’ve already heard, as long as it’s told in the right way, it still lands. “What Is That Light” is built on a sturdy foundation of the tried, tested, and true. All-in-all, it’s probably going to be universally considered as one of the easiest tracks to enjoy on this entire record.
“In Her Spaces” has an almost Carpenters-esque type of vibe to its writing and sound, and I’m digging that. Love the guitar work in this tune as well…listening to the notes bending away on “In Her Spaces” is nothing short of spectacular. Ultimately, you can hear that this song is much more tributary by design – a love-song of sorts…and I think people will appreciate that overall. Me? I mean, it makes me freakin’ claustrophobic because I practically want nothing but a good six feet of personal space at all times, so the idea of being in anyone’s space for too long, or having them in mine, is like…panic inducing? Alright, I get it to an extent I suppose – I AM married after all, and have been happily together with my wife for the past twenty years. If there’s anyone that’s gonna invade my personal space and get away with it, it’s gonna be her I suppose…and I reckon vice versa would be equally true. Look – “In Her Spaces” is entirely intended to be a sweet & sentimental song, and I’d be the first to tell ya that it hits the mark in that regard…so take my curmudgeonly comments with the ol’ proverbial grain of salt – I’m only kidding around. Things don’t need my overcomplicated explanations all the time…some tunes just are what they are and don’t need to be anything more – “In Her Spaces” is intentionally sweet and succeeds in being so. It’s got the perfect sound to accompany the lyrical theme with its delicate and dreamy music.
Make no mistake, Right Click, comprised of four musicians in a virtual band, have “decades of experience in the music business,” and it sounds like it when you listen to these tunes – a fact that probably works both for and against them in equal doses. As I listened to “My Poor Heart,” the first thing I felt like I was thinking about was feeling like I was grateful for my upbringing being so well-rounded when it comes to how I listen to music and what these ears of mine choose to absorb, which is essentially everything that they can – but I’m also keenly aware that I’m the exception and not the rule. While it’s still fair to say that so much of what Right Click is creating is built on what has worked throughout the bulk of music’s history, it’s also easy to recognize that it’s not exactly in lockstep with what’s making waves out there on whatever it is I’d assume is happening on TikTok channels & such. I don’t expect that four dudes makin’ music with decades under their belt and plenty of accomplishments achieved over the course of their collective careers probably care all that much about that kinda stuff, and I’m sure they’re well aware – they know who their audience is at this point, and beyond that, I believe they’re really making music more for the sheer pleasure of doin’ it than they are for the clicks, you feel me? That being said, it can feel like that inspired spark we’re so often seeking out in the music we listen to is often replaced by a controlled calm that can only come through years of professional experience…which is again, something that’ll likely work for and against them. I listen to a track like “My Poor Heart” and know that their peers & tenured musicians will have no problem at all appreciating it…but as for the kids…maybe not so much. All we can ever do in the creative community is not let ourselves down, and I’d argue that Right Click is on totally solid ground in that regard…they play with skill, precision & heart – that’s all we can ever ask.
Where things get potentially a bit more interesting and more widespread in their appeal, would be in songs like “With The Lights Out” that branch out more towards the fringe of what you’d consider to be the Right Click sound. Again, I’m not arguing that they’re recreating the wheel here – but this is a notably different song on this self-titled record that is bound to bring in a few more folks that might have been on the fence, or people that were wondering what else Right Click might be able to offer their ears. Even myself, while I enjoy and appreciate a lot of what they’ve created to this point on the album, I’d still likely put “With The Lights Out” up there with my favorites, because it does feel like a bit more of a fresh idea than many of the rest by comparison. Maybe they want to look at that directly, maybe they don’t…that’s all up to them. What I can tell you is this…the difference between what we’ve heard to this point on Right Click’s record and now, is the difference between going with what you know, versus what it sounds like when you’re doing something a bit less like you normally would – make sense? It’s often when we challenge ourselves creatively to do something differently that we end up with our most significant artistic breakthroughs – and to me, that’s what “With The Lights Out” sounds like. On the plus side, their extensive combined experience still makes any departure contain very little risk – you know that what you hear is still played to perfection – but by the same token, by venturing out to the fringe of their sound to see what can be explored, gives this particular cut a more adventurous feel to it as well. I feel like “With The Lights Out” was a genuinely great move for Right Click to have made and I’d definitely encourage them to continue innovating their sound in directions like this – it’s a standout cut. It’s also the longest on the album too…so who knows…maybe it was the inspiration of being inspired, or maybe there was a little more creative freedom to be found in the extra time they had in making “With The Lights Out” – but whatever it was, it not only worked but worked wonders, and I want more of THIS!
Still, all that being said, as I was tellin’ ya before, you can’t argue with top notch execution even if it ends up feeling more familiar to us on the listening end, like what you’ll hear on “Carolina Moon.” I’m assuming that’s Mare Carmody singing the soulful lead on this Blues-Rock track, and while I’ve certainly got plenty of respect for what Sid does when he’s singin’ on his tunes, “Carolina Moon” notably serves the album by adding a lil’ diversity to the overall sound that this record possesses. And you know something? I’m gonna advocate on behalf of expanding this idea. I mean, look – I was raised in the Grunge era and was taught that any kind of fade-out is sacrilege, even if I was born in the 80s and taught to make sure I faded out any song I was recording to a tape so that it didn’t just cut out on me too – so yes, I’m conflicted in that regard, but I tend to go with my Grunge-side more often than not. The point is, “Carolina Moon” is also the shortest song on this album at under three & a half minutes, and it really feels like we were just getting into this idea by the time that it starts fading out on us…and I feel like it truly deserves more time than it gets. So…yeah…either I’d do that, or I’d put Mare on the mic for another tune or two…or maybe even both of these things – ultimately I think that kind of versatility could serve Right Click better as a band in the long term. Suffice it to say, coming from a guy that tries very hard to steer clear of Blues Rock altogether as it continually proves to be the genre that seems to have the toughest time presenting anything new…I honestly really dig what they’ve got goin’ on with “Carolina Moon” and feel like Right Click gets right into the groove of this song in a way we can all get behind. Like I was saying earlier, doing things differently tends to lead to some excellent breakthroughs.
As they finish things off with “My Dream Come True,” I gotta say, it feels like Right Click came alive mainly in the second-half of this album…almost to the point where you can tell that part of it was created earlier than the rest and might have been better off being separate releases. Having said that, sometimes you gotta draw a line in the sand, get things out there into the world, see what comes back atcha in the court of public opinion, and go from there. With the first four tracks on this album being created in the midst of the pandemic era, it’s almost natural that it’s the latter half of this record that carries a more inspired spark to it…which might come through the most clearly at the very end on “My Dream Come True,” which is just about the most positive dose of happiness you’ll find in this whole set. Quite likely born of the same inspiration that “In Her Spaces” was created from earlier on, Sid does well when he’s expressing himself in love-songs and puts a lot of heart into his vocals – I think most folks out there generally always have time for material that draws from such noticeable sincerity. In any event, I suppose we’re talking about a record that took somewhere around four years or so to make…and I guess you could say I’m probably advocating on behalf of Right Click shortening up the timeframe when it comes to making that next album, to keep the material a bit more cohesive in its energy and overall vibe. They should definitely keep going though…they clearly play very well together and they’ve written a plethora of stellar tunes on this first record, and I’d imagine anything they’ll go on to create will carry a consistent stamp of quality that comes from time, experience, tenure, and their own authentic interest.
Find out more about Right Click at their label at O.K. Then Records here: http://www.okthenrecords.us
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