Ball of Wax 51 Songs: Tight Cannons – “Going for It”

Tight Cannons is the latest musical moniker of Seattle’s lovable Matty P, who also sings in the Foghorns choir and writes for this very blog. Tight Cannons is a huge improvement on his last band name – Karaoke Hottiez, which is an affront to both god and man – and “Going for it” is a fine, fine slice of extended romantic lo fi pop. Acoustic guitar, hand percussion, casiotones for the comfortably alone, microphone buzz, street noise – it’s got it all. It has a scratchy old-timey boardwalk feel, like if Tom Waits had placed his mythos on the Atlantic City boardwalk rather than the Bowery. Despite clocking in at over twelve minutes, Matty croons a catchy, wistful melody with a measure of feeling and commitment that elevates this way above jokey 4-track dicking around. The layered guitar parts get hypnotic at times, the spell broken when Matty’s weary voice asserts the melody like a singalong he’s stubbornly determined to get others to join.