Press — bmr006

M. Lockwood Porter - Communion in the Ashes Communion in the Ashes harnesses the spirit of Tom Petty with its jaunty, upbeat, guitar jangling songs and thoughtful political messages. Melodic and foot tapping new songs that fit you like a comfortable pair of shoes. M.Lockwood Porter is contemporary but has a familiar style. It’s one that will please many who revel in Springsteen, Dylan or Tom Petty. It is a classic genre to play in but this album manages to stand up tall. This is a collection of well written songs and there is a variety and pacing through the...

Porter channels his frustration about the state of the world into a glorious rock and roll record.  The lyrical bite can be potent yet not without a glimmer of optimism and rebellion.  “Our redemption song can topple walls but first we must compose it,” he sings on “The Dream Is Dead”.

AltCountry.nl - M. Lockwood Porter Translated (paragraphs added): Bruce Springsteen has it. American Aquarium has it. Mr. Lockwood Porter has it. They can all convert negative circumstances into positive energy. Communion In The Ashes (Black Mesa Records) is full of battle songs. It is what americana is all about: describe the circumstances, find something about it, do something with it. Delivering songs that can trigger something. Build a community on the ashes. On the title track, M. says goodbye to San Francisco, though he realized at the time he didn't write the song yet that he was really leaving, back...

“I spent a year, like a lot of people probably, depressed, afraid, trying to figure out. I’d just made a record about the political situation in our country, and then things got even worse,” Porter said. “I didn’t want to make the same record again. Out of that, I tried to find a more positive take.”