The Best of Rock and Roll, Southern Grunge, Blues, and ‘Texas Nirvana’ Is Found In “Pollen”
“One of my favorite songs on the record is “Like Wild Horses”. It is very different from anything we’ve ever done, and deeply personal to me and a dark time that I was going through at one point in the last couple of years. It allowed me to take one of the lowest moments in my life and look at it as the genesis of something new and wonderful instead of the ending. It is the epilogue of one story and the prologue of the next one all at once.”
– Matt James
Blacktop Mojo releases their highly anticipated 5th full-length studio album “Pollen.” The album is a journey through love, loss, and the human experience, and captures the essence of springtime in the confusing modern world. In eleven unforgettable tracks, “Pollen” brings listeners through the experience of falling in and out of love with one another, and with life itself.
The album starts on a brooding, dark, sludgy note with “The End Is Gonna Come.” Blacktop Mojo makes their unique mark by combining country twang with dark undertones, coined by producer Philip Mosley as “Texas Nirvana.” Next, the album moves into a more upbeat country anthem, with “Weary I Roam,” which leans into traditional southern influences, and a slamming electric guitar solo to bring home their eclectic range, and vast instrumental talent.
“I Can’t Tell” the third song off of “Pollen” was released on March 22nd, and showcases Blacktop Mojo’s grunge influences, with its laid-back, yet powerful guitar riffs and distinguishable Southern twang style. Lyrics demonstrate the talent of writers Matt James and Matt Curtis, while producer Philip Mosley layers in sounds reminiscent of their vast array of grunge and rock influences.
“Please Don’t Call ” leans into Blacktop Mojo’s emotional songwriting skills and continues to tell the story of love in the modern dating climate. The catchy track captures the best of Blacktop Mojo’s blues-rock style. Up next, “Red Enough” is a nostalgic rock anthem that explores themes of love, loss, and regret. Followed by “Rise”, which is a slower, emotionally yearning track that grasps at fleeting love, these two tracks go hand-in-hand, and dive deep into the more melancholy notes of the album.
“As The Light Fades,” track seven on the album, bounces back to the positive feelings of “Pollen”, as a feel-good anthem, a fan-favorite, and passionate track that oozes with infectious energy of summer and young love. Blacktop Mojo’s classic rock influences shine through with powerful guitar riffs, while their infamous ‘Southern grunge’ makes its mark in the vocals and twangy instrumentation. Lead singer Matt James describes the track as “a nostalgic look at young infatuation that turns into life-long love, from running inside when the streetlights come on all the way to the last tender kiss shared before crossing into The Great Beyond.”
“Something’s Changed”, track eight, laments on times passed, and what could have been. By layering in horns, Nathan Gillis’s slamming drums, and bold guitar, Blacktop Mojo highlights their instrumental range and multi-talented band members. Followed by “Shoulda Just Gone To Sleep”, the album continues to explore feelings of regret, and listeners are brought deep within the intense feeling lead singer Matt James brings. Similarly, “Born To Lose” speaks to all humans’ anxieties, and encapsulates the negative emotions songwriter Matt James aims to communicate about love and loss in the modern age.
Ending on a slow, brooding note to bookend the journey from its opening, “Like Wild Horse” reflects on the many emotions explored in the album, and leaves listeners with a positive outlook on what’s to come. Encapsulating the true essence of springtime, “Pollen” gives listeners time to reflect on the past, as well as instill hope for the future.
The album as a whole is a multi-genre masterpiece, and emotional rollercoaster, showcasing talent unlike any group, with its highly varied instrumentation, layered influences, and textures, along with genius songwriting. “Pollen” is a journey through love in the modern age, and combines eclectic textures never before seen in a rock, country, or blues album. With inspirations ranging from Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bill Withers, Stone Temple Pilots, to Bob Seger and Etta James, Blacktop Mojo’s music has elements of heavy rock, grunge, soul, blues, and a little splash of southern twang. It may sound almost impossible, but each influence shines through in the album and can be identified in many of the tracks on their own.
“Pollen” can be streamed at https://vyd.co/Pollen and is available on all platforms starting April 5th.
Tracklist:
01 The End Is Gonna Come
02 Weary I Roam
03 I Can’t Tell
04 Please Don’t Call
05 Red Enough
06 Rise
07 As The Light Fades
08 Something’s Changed
09 Shoulda Just Gone To Sleep
10 Born To Lose
11 Like Wild Horse
“Overall, all the songs on “Pollen” are about the human experience of falling in and out of love. In nature, pollen drops in the spring and signals rebirth and new life. Falling in and out of love is much the same. You almost become a new person each time it happens. Where we’re from in Texas, this time of year, pollen coats every surface and leaves a golden sheen on everything it touches. We named the record “Pollen” because of these themes and the timing of dropping the album in the springtime. Each time we release a record, it ushers in a little rebirth for the band and our music.” –Matt James
What the media is saying:
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“There are very few bands capable of successfully combining such diverse influences on one album; Blacktop Mojo are talented, terrific songwriters.” – Bravewords
“There is plenty to enjoy and variety on the album, including ‘Something’s Changed’, which sees the band off down a soul route with great success. One things for sure Blacktop Mojo are one talented bunch of musicians.” –
“When Blacktop Mojo start with just an acoustic you know you are in for a treat and “I Can’t Tell” lives up to the hype. Matt sounds perfect and that old heartbreaker of women rears its head. The Collective Soul fuzz is back and this is as catchy as hell.” – Metal Planet
“ No matter what genre of music you like, many of the greatest bands hail from the South (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pantera, ZZ Top) and you can tell Blacktop Mojo is influenced by them all. This latest album is a collection of tracks that seamlessly blend hard rock grit with melodic sensibility, resulting in an album that captivates from start to finish.” Brutal Planet Magazine
About Blacktop Mojo
Described as a mix of Soundgarden and Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blacktop Mojo incorporates heavy, sludgy, rock mixed with sultry blues. Formed in late 2012 in the small town of Palestine, Texas by vocalist Matt James and drummer Nathan Gillis, Blacktop Mojo has coined the term “Texas Grunge” to describe their one-of-a-kind sound. The band consists of lead vocalist Matt James, drummer Nathan Gillis, bassist Matt Curtis and guitarists Malcolm Booher and Ryan Kiefer.
A unique blend of sludgy grooves, classic rock guitar riffs, and southern metal shredding sets Blacktop Mojo somewhere between dirty, heavy rock and roll mixed with sensual and carnal blues. Drawing on a multitude of genres and influences such as Alice In Chains, ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Tool, Bill Withers, Stone Temple Pilots, Bob Seger, to Etta James, Blacktop Mojo combines styles of the past with a modern edge for a totally unique sound that can only be experienced through listening.
After their debut album, “I Am” in 2014, the band stayed around Texas to record another album in 2017, “Burn The Ships”, which caused the guys to quit their day jobs and move into a small house together in Palestine, TX. Since then, the band has kept a relentless recording and touring schedule, filled with boundless creativity that has allowed them to create songs to reach the top 40 on both the Mediabase and Billboard Rock Chart.
Catch Blacktop Mojo on tour to catch one of their unforgettable live shows across the U.S. in 2024.
For more information on Blacktop Mojo, please visit