Doug Tuttle adds polish to his new album without losing its psych vibe
The first thing fans of Doug Tuttle might notice about his sophomore solo album, “It Calls On Me,” is the clarity of the sound.
The local singer-songwriter employs the same dreamy folk-pop that characterized his self-titled debut a couple of years ago. But, on the first album, distorted, flanger-heavy effects often wash out the instruments and even Tuttle’s vocals, feeding into the album’s psychedelic vibe.
According to Tuttle, the distorted production wasn’t entirely intentional; he simply recorded the first album with faulty equipment.
“I used a reel-to-reel recorder, and no matter how hard you tried, you had to get a little wild with it,” Tuttle said. “Once it’s distorted, you can make the sound interesting in any way. This time (for the new album), I could record something and make it sound like what it’s supposed to sound like.”
Tuttle recorded all the songs for “It Calls On Me” through an audio interface on his computer in his apartment in Somerville, Mass. The interface allowed Tuttle a more polished production, bringing definition and brightness to the instruments, all of which the singer-songwriter played himself.
Nevertheless, “It Calls On Me” still features the signature characteristics of Tuttle’s songwriting. The album is a nine-song showcase of Tuttle’s unique blend of ’70s-style jangle-folk in the vein of bands like The Byrds, and mind-altering psychedelia that could have stemmed from the same era. Tuttle, who was the front man in the former New Hampshire-based psych-rock group Mmoss, incorporates droning effects that seep into the songs.
But, whether he’s writing a song on guitar or figuring out an effect to give it some flavor, to Tuttle, songs either work or they don’t.
“There’s no real set approach,” Tuttle said. “I record whatever catches my attention. I’ll write with guitar and actual lyrics and the structure ahead of time, then I’ll write other parts to it, start recording, and see if a song happens.”
Tuttle recorded about 20 songs for the album and narrowed it down to nine for the final cut. The extra songs, he said, didn’t gel with the rest of the album, but he’ll consider releasing one or two of them in the future.
Tuttle said he’s been writing slowly over the past couple of years. He writes and records songs as they come to him.
“I just record songs whenever I have free time and wait until I have a bunch that fit together,” he said. “I’m not intentionally trying to make a record. I just wait until I have enough songs that work.”
The patience paid off. “It Calls On Me” achieves what many contemporary albums do not: consistency. With the national musical landscape now focused mostly on singles and downloads, the art of crafting a mood that endures through an entire album is increasingly rare.
On Tuttle’s new album, the songs flow like the current of a lazy river. From the up-tempo acoustic opener, “A Place For You,” all the way through to the distorted stomp of the closing track, “Where Will You Go,” each song smoothly transitions into the next track. The laidback, guitar-strumming style, combined with the simple thumping bass line and steady drumming, carry the weight of the songs, while the kaleidoscopic synth effects and angular riffs and solos give the music depth. “Painted Eye” combines the use of slide guitar juxtaposed with a fuzzed-out guitar lick. “Falling To Believe” incorporates trippy guitar solos with a synth element that sounds like a flute.
Tuttle’s dreamy, hazy singing style adds still more texture to the sound. His melodies drift around the instrumentation to create some pleasant mistiness.
Tuttle is in the midst an 11-date tour to close out the winter, wrapping up at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth on Sunday, Feb. 28. He’s on the road with his backing band, featuring drummer Noah Bond, guitarist/organist Jesse Gallagher, and bassist and former Mmoss bandmate Justin DeArmitt. The group has been performing some of the songs, like “A Place For You,” “These Times,” and “It Calls On Me,” since their tour in Europe last year.
Tuttle and his band will go back on the road later this year for a full tour around the country. While Tuttle writes and performs all of the songs on the album himself, he said having a full band keeps performances loose and the songs interesting.
“It’s nice to play new songs, in general,” Tuttle said. “We’ve been playing songs from the first record for a while.”
Doug Tuttle will perform with Herbcraft at 3S Artspace, 319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. Call 603-766-3330 or visit 3sarts.org.