Mystical woodlands and shimmering oases abound on Mythago, the new single from Oregon trio Moon and Bike.
Moon and Bike have explored the reaches of their sound on their new single Mythago. Delivering the sonic equivalent of an enchanted stroll through the forest, the track opens with eerie acoustic guitar arpeggios, which instils cinematic quality that guides readers for the remaining runtime.
The sporadic twang of guitar enhances this storytelling, with the kind of bluesy riffs you might hear on the soundtrack of a spaghetti western film.
Mythago is adorned in every corner with rich melodies and expressive chord changes, as anchored by pop-leaning structures which afford a sense of direction.
It’s this emphasis on structure that makes Mythago flow like a fable, with a foreboding build-up verse that later reaches a catharsis on the chorus.
Here, Moon and Bike — the trio known off stage as Boone Johnson, Michael Swanson and John Gannon — deliver a crescendo of multi-layered guitar strings and upbeat melodies. This journey from an eerie retreat to somewhere sunnier is akin to traversing foggy woodlands en route to a shimmering oasis.
While Moon and Bike’s mastery clearly lies in guitar, there’s a subtle percussive throughline that, if taking the comparison of a story, might be Mythago’s moody undertone.
To deliver such rich storytelling without lyrics is no small feat, but through pure mastery of their tools, the Oregon trio deliver what can only be described as sonic fantasy.
This guiding theme is ultimately well-laced, since Mythago was inspired by Robert Holdstock’s 1984 fantasy novel Mythago Wood.
The tale of a hero’s journey through ancient woodlands is befitting of a track this folkloric, an intentional choice on Moon and Bike’s part.
“I’ve always loved [Mythago Wood’s] dark mysteriousness, which depicts characters intently exploring as they travel through a mythical forest,” Boone explained in a press statement.
“We were hoping to echo this with writing that inspires a feeling of searching and discovering as the song progresses.” Moon and Bike are currently preparing for the release of their new album, Brave State, said to explore the current state of the world from environmental degradation to political upheaval.
In the meantime, wrap your ears around the premiere of the spellbinding odyssey that is Moon and Bike’s new single Mythago below.
