Nashville is a great wealth of talent, a statement we can all agree on. If you’re the Music Row type, there’s songwriters and studio musicians as far as the eye can see. Our hip-hop scene is stronger than its ever been, our electronic and experimental scene is off the charts and quality indie rock is available in great quantities. Of course, the flip side to such outpouring of talent is that, inevitably, some gems are going to get overlooked. That Kopec’s The Machine Is Always Running is one of Nashville’s overlooked gems.
If you’re unfamiliar with Kopec, you’d be wise to follow him on Instagram and find your favorite way to immerse yourself in his back catalog, going back as far as 2012 (at least, on Bandcamp). Furthermore, his list of production credits is vast but hard to find a fully comprehensive list. This is a long winded way of saying, there’s a lot to soak in here. Quantity does not equate to quality but, in this case, there’s a lot of good to get to know.
What makes The Machine is Always Running special is that it marks a time of experimentation for Kopec. This observation has not been communicated to me directly but listening back to 2021’s I Hold Out My Hands or 2020’s Three Books, Kopec is a bit more reserved, withdrawn and introspective. Historically, his musical endeavors have been interested in the delicate interplay of his voice, acoustic instrumentation and electronic flourishes. He has managed that interplay beautifully. On Machine, his guitar is plugged in, drums emerge to drive the tempos forward and fresh sounds pepper each composition. The thoughtful songwriting of previous albums is still here, along with the mindful and compelling lyrics but Kopec seems to be allowing himself to try a new approach.
During the back half of the record things slow down a bit and feel a bit more like “familiar” Kopec territory – hushed and withdrawn. However, this time there is a foreboding nature to the presentation and layers of something drawing you in. The album ending track, “Swaying Song,” turns that sinister calmness on its head with a huge wall of sound.
Maybe Kopec has entered his “rock era” and this is his version of that sound. Maybe he purchased some new gear and this is his way of trying it out. There’s no telling what the impetus behind these songs is but they are downright riveting. Nashville has a lot of great talent but The Machine Is Always Running is a cut above. Don’t miss it.