Georgia soul-psych rockers The Movemeant Band is composed of three veteran musicians who live and work in Columbus, Georgia.
In 2021, they released their self-titled debut EP. The EP is a 15-minute collection of avant-garde rock. Genre-wise, the band’s sound combines elements from soul, world, psychedelic rock, RnB, funk, and punk- needless to say, it encapsulates a wide spectrum of sound.
The Movemeant Band is what happens when you run Kentucky blues rockers Cold Beverage through a kaleidoscope, which is only a slight exaggeration. In a matter of five short songs, The Movemeant Band takes us on a brief but satisfying journey through rock history.
The key to this sound is lead vocalist, guitarist and PRS Guitars Pulse Artist Miguel Juarez. His eclectic guitar work is a veritable palate of everything that a PRS S2 Standard electric guitar can do. The first song in the album, “Alive”, opens with Juarez wailing on the guitar hooked up to a classic Digitech Whammy pedal, which he puts to good use throughout the raw and psychedelic opening. This is before he switches to a Taylor acoustic guitar for the flamenco-inspired second half. It’s a fitting tribute to the psych-rock era.
Meanwhile, their track “Lately, I” is a sad love song with a playful melody. Juarez’s lyrical hook game is on display and the drums and bass get sticky. Combined with the dreamy, reverb-heavy guitar that’s working out a catchy melody for the stream-of-thought lyrics,”Lately, I” is reminiscent of old-school dream pop and ‘90s alt rock funk. According to Juarez, he used the Electro-Harmonix Nanoclone chorus to achieve this dreamy tone.
Bassist Martae Pettway all but takes over in “I Don’t Listen”, a funky neo-soul number wherein fellow Columbus musicians Siantz contributes vocal work. Drummer Brian Kempson Jr. delivers a jazzy flavor as Juarez resumes avant-garde lead guitar duties.
Meanwhile, in Distant Memories, Juarez’s virtuoso flamenco acoustics retake centerstage while Siantz chants the phrase “These distant memories are fading.” Kempson ditches the full drumset for a djembe and Pettway’s bass lines turn atmospheric. The overall vibe conjures images of musicians playing around a raging bonfire at night.
The last song on the album is called “Moove”, a full-on ‘90s alternative rock song with an ‘80s attitude. With Pettway’s bass holding down the fort, Kempson and Juarez basically unleash all hell. “Moove” would be the perfect sonic expression.
At a little over 15 minutes long, The Movemeant Band delivers a solid EP that actually already feels like a solid concept album. The songwriting succeeds at being catchy and the strings are highly experimental but tight on all fronts. If you love The Jimi Hendrix Experience but also the unapologetically weird flavor of musicians like Afton Wolfe, The Movemeant Band is the three-piece funky punk-rock soul psychonauts you’ve been looking for. Juarez, Kempson, and Pettway are veterans who know exactly what they’re doing and where they want to be.
For now, you can hear The Movemeant’s EP on Spotify, Amazon Music, and their social media accounts.
