Message on the Moon
The long-awaited second album from Penelope's Thrill, Message on the Moon, comes on the heels of their debut album, Twilight on Tunnel Road, which won the Alternative Album of the Year from Madison Area Music Association in 2022. Penelope's Thrill is an indie rock band based in Madison, Wisconsin, the brainchild of Timothy Walsh, who writes all the songs and plays guitar, with other musicians from Madison and overseas invited to play on individual tracks.
Whereas the first Penelope's Thrill album was a concept album telling the story of two young lovers growing up in rural Wisconsin, the new album focuses on the much broader theme of metamorphosis, which runs through all the songs. And the main inspiration for the album comes from an unlikely source--a painting hanging above Walsh's fireplace (which is also featured on the cover of the album).
Other Madison musicians who join Walsh on the album include Ben Lokuta (drums) of The Cuz and Herd of Bison, Ben Jaeger (lead guitar, track 8) of Sunspot, Wendy Lynn Markus (violin) of Sunspot), and Walsh's wife Barbara Walsh (backing vocals). Two other contributing musicians sent in their contributions from overseas: Akmaral Zykayeva (violin and backing vocals), a well-known composer and recording artist in Kazakhstan, and Amanda Sanderson (vocals and backing vocals) from Newcastle, England.
All the tracks on Message on the Moon feature Walsh's intricately crafted guitar parts, richly layered, often contrasting fast arpeggios with lush, atmospheric washes of color. Songs range from the classic ska-infused alt-rock sound of "Things Are Falling Down" to the infectious indie pop of "Ocean Avenue Sunrise," to the lo-fi shoegaze ethos of "Leslie Are You Sleeping?" (all of which were released as singles).
Building the unique guitar soundscape for each song was a crucial element in the album, which was recorded, mixed, and produced by Walsh in his small home studio. For each song, Walsh draws on his collection o
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