In his relatively short time releasing music as Cut Worms, Max Clarke has maintained an impressive studio output starting with his 2017 EP Alien Sunset and stretching up to his recently released self-titled LP. Compared to the sprawling 2020 double-LP Nobody Lives Here Anymore, the latest finds Cut Worms tightening up and clearly narrowing down Clarke’s material to the very best cuts as the album is easily among the strongest releases of the year. Clearly, the Cut Worms sound, which draws much of its inspiration from dreamy country-folk and pop of the 60s and 70s, has caught on with listeners. This was evident when Clarke and his band hit Mississippi Studios in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday, September 27th for a sold-out show.
Getting the evening started in front of an extremely quiet crowd was Sylvie, a band led by Drugdealer’s Ben Schwab. Hailing from, perhaps not surprisingly, California, the band sounded like they could’ve emerged from the enclaves of Laurel Canyon in the 70s with five different vocalists harmonizing throughout their set in a fashion that brought to mind groups like Crosby, Stills, and Nash, the Byrds, and even the alt-country sounds of the Jayhawks. Though the group’s sound came across as almost too derivative of their influences, songs like “Stealing Time,” the twangy “Further Down The Road,” and the eponymous “Sylvia” beckoned the audience into their sunny, acid-washed orbit.
Two songs into Cut Worms’ set, Max Clarke mentioned that he hadn’t played Portland since 2018. This may have explained why the crowd was so attentive and quiet, with Clarke later comparing the vibe to that of a library. This was even the case on more bouncy, upbeat fare like the set opener “Let’s Go Out On The Town” and the infectious “Don’t Fade Out.” For his part, Clarke maintained the kind of stage presence fitting of his mostly mellow music that often features inspirational touch points like George Harrison, the Beach Boys, the Louvin Brothers, and other folk-pop from the 50s and 60s. Songs like “Every Once In a While” and “Ballad of the Texas King” featured more of that country-rock sound that can be heard throughout the new album, with bright pedal steel twanging along. “It Won’t Be Too Long” was a highlight with its trodding honky tonky-meets-Harry-Nilsson sound, while “Take it and Smile” was positively groovy, and “I’ll Never Make It” captured the dreamier aspects of Cut Worms.
For the most part, the band stuck to their two most recent albums throughout the performance. Those looking to hear these tunes exactly as they sound on the recordings were definitely satisfied as they were played flawlessly. Onstage, Clarke was modestly charming as he let the songs speak for themselves. In other words, it was the kind of performance that was well-suited for a quiet crowd on a crisp fall evening.
