***"Shutaro Noguchi didn’t set out to make a farewell album, but On the Run captures a moment of profound change. Recorded just weeks before moving back to Japan after 20 formative years in America (spent primarily Louisville, Kentucky), the album reflects a life in motion—rooted in memories, yet reaching toward the unknown.In Louisville, Noguchi had built a creative home with a tight-knit crew, crafting beloved records that ranged from the country-rock swagger of Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band to the mutant grooves of Equipment Pointed Ankh. Meanwhile, he released compelling solo work, including the full-band psych rock gem Love Super Terranean on Feeding Tube Records. With On the Run, Noguchi joins The Roadhouse Band once more for a searching, expressive collaboration—an album made at a threshold between past and future.The opening track 'Olympic 3.5' begins with Noguchi in solitary introspection: 'Now the wind is blowing / It’s passing me by … I’m getting a little too used to watching this sunset.' He’s soon joined by the syncopated rhythms and lilting synths of The Roadhouse camp, constructing a warped odyssey that intertwines the cosmic spirit of Gong with the melodic, pop-driven abstraction of Ryuichi Sakamoto. Noguchi returns with Wyatt-esque wordless vocalizations before the song spirals into a dark, abstract descent.Jazz-tinged numbers like 'Apocalypse/Calendar' and 'River Dagger' highlight Noguchi’s singular compositional voice. His relaxed vocals float over otherworldly arrangements, while 'Drive My Cape Cod'—–a voice memo captured during a long car ride and completed in the studio—offers a candid glimpse into...
LP $24.95
10/24/2025