Press — M Lockwood Porter

Porter’s drops of reason and positivity, ripple outward from himself, through others, past the strictures of politics, and religion, and into a new head space. Communion In The Ashes is a truly remarkable rock ‘n’ roll record.

Porter takes on some weighty issues on this album, and he faces them with unflinching honesty. But his musical undertones soften the message and make even hard truths easier to face.

TAKE EFFECT - Communion In The Ashes - 9/10 9/10 Listen to Communion In The Ashes Though M. Lockwood Porter has made most of his music while living in the Bay Area, he’s now back in his home state of Oklahoma, and on his 4th album, Communion In The Ashes, he brings an anthemic quality to songs about modern day social problems, something he experienced first hand during his time as an educator. The title track starts the album with driving guitars and a thriving rock’n’roll spirit that’s somewhere between power-pop and alt-rock, and “Waiting For A Sign” brings keys...

I'm glad that this is the album that puts M. Lockwood Porter on the radar.  It's Porter's fourth full-length and is the crystallization of a number of themes Porter began to sketch out on his majestic How to Dream Again, a gentle but full-throated anticipation of the Trump era. (PS -- if you need a blueprint for how to stay sane, I highly recommend listening to that album as early and often as possible.)