Texas Platters

The Gospel Truth

Matador co-owner Gerard Cosloy isn't adverse to saxophones, and neither is the Gospel Truth. The local crate digger's personal imprint, 12XU, now hosts the Austin quartet's first LP in its six-year history, A Lonely Man Does Foolish Things, which plays like a garage-punk album that's been swept up in a Mojave sandstorm. Frontman Mark Tonucci, singer/saxophonist/keyboardist/harpist, flexes avant-garde woodwind muscle ("Easy Action") while aligning himself vocally as Austin's iteration of Jim Morrison ("Beasts"). Propelling the instrumental mix on eight gritty tracks is guitarist Patrick Travis, known better as the drummer for the Golden Boys, who whips sharp hammer-ons ("Figure Four," "What Keeps You Up At Night") alongside dead-fretted bar-chord strikes ("Hud," "12ax7"). The frantic execution of both sounds wears after a long series of listens, but you'll have a good time getting there.