Monte Montgomery
The Story of Love (Harmonic) So ya wanna be a guitar star in Austin: Stand in line and read the instructions. First, distinguish yourself from the glut of string-benders that flock on every corner of Sixth Street. Then, be excruciatingly polite every time someone mentions the name “Vaughan” or “Johnson.” Finally, wait your turn to play your heart out for a gig, and hope for good press. Or you can do it Monte Montgomery’s way, as unconventional as his Hill Country childhood. The Story of Love is Montgomery’s fifth national release, and it’s a tale of the guitarist’s attempts at conquering any six-string genre he chooses. The 13 self-penned compositions of pop-flavored blues-rock and well-crafted balladry are a far cry from the lengthy, solo-heavy tunes that marked his previous work. With shorter and snappier songs such as “I Can’t Hide,” “Shock,” and “One Good Reason,” Montgomery positions himself for even better radio airplay, a natural progression in his career maturation. A perennial favorite locally since his emergence in the mid-Nineties, Montgomery earned his accolades with the deft fretboard work displayed on “Secretly Waiting” and “Shock.” Yet what really distinguishes The Story of Love is the unabashed romanticism imbued in his music – “You’re Still Gone,” “Love’s Finest Hour,” “Whatever It Takes,” and the title track. It rounds out his guitar grandstanding by balancing it with strong writing, and that’s a smart step forward.
This article appears in February 27 • 2004.