kingcaid drops new LP ‘Colorblind Quarterback’

Austin-based artist Michael Kingcaid first came to wider attention in the early 2000s as the principal writer and vocalist for the indie rock group What Made Milwaukee Famous. The band earned a reputation for their engaging songwriting and high-energy performances, securing a place on the Barsuk Records roster and appearing at major festivals including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, ACL Festival, Sasquatch! and Austin City Limits. Along the way they played alongside artists such as Franz Ferdinand, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Black Keys and The National, while their music also found its way onto television through placements on Gilmore Girls and Hart of Dixie.

For a time, the group’s momentum seemed to be building toward something even larger before the next level of public engagement arrived abruptly and dramatically. Out of that history, Michael eventually began walking a different path under his own name; the kingcaid project allows him to channel years of songwriting experience into something that feels at once familiar and newly expansive. The shift isn’t about abandoning what came before so much as widening the scope of it, creating songs that feel intimate in their emotional context while also stretching outward through textured arrangements and atmospheric storytelling.

The music released under the kingcaid moniker sits somewhere between moody rock and reflective songwriting, with his work often balancing a sense of longing with the possibility of redemption, allowing the emotional tone to drift between quiet emotion and something more dramatic. Musically, the project draws from a wide pool of influences, including Deer Tick, Queens of the Stone Age, Elliott Smith, Spoon and Rufus Wainwright, reference points which appear as pieces of a broader fabric that informs how the songs are built.

In 2021, he stepped out as kingcaid with the debut record, This Land Is Your Wasteland. This Land Is My Wasteland., followed up by his sophomore LP, A Scar Is Born, the next year. Following a brief hiatus from sharing his solo sonic vision, last year he returned with new material, dropping a trio of new singles in the build up to his latest release, his third full-length album titled Colorblind Quarterback.

With this latest record, kingcaid combines the aesthetic of new wave with the tension of art rock, taking cues from artists such as David Bowie, Nick Cave, Ty Segall and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, while still holding onto the formula that’s always shaped his songwriting. The eleven-track release kicks off with the fuzzy crunch of guitar on opening track “Ain’t That Nice,” crafting a moody rock scene that flows with rolling drums and commanding vocals to deliver a gripping soundscape that’s both brooding and tinged with bright melodic flickers.

Lead single “Purgatory” waltzes in with the lively sway of 6/8 rhythm as pattering percussion and intricate guitar notes are met by Michael’s compelling vocal leads. Surging with crashing chords and splashing drums, the track glides with engrossing dark rock vibes cut with instantly memorable melodic leads and immersive arrangement peppered with slick lead guitar flourishes. Tracks like “Here We Go Again” serve up bouncy rhythmic energy as stabby instrumentation and theatrical vocals combine to craft an infectious, pop-inflected rock outing.

Other highlights on the album include songs like “Will You Take A Second for A Minute” with its airy sonic atmosphere gliding into a subtly driving indie rock scene brimming with smooth ebb and flow, graceful vocals and gritty lead guitar moments. “Nothing” builds from strummed acoustic guitar chords and expressive vocals towards a charging alternative rock anthem packed full of stomping drums and stacked guitars to deliver a truly absorbing listening experience.

With “Why,” kingcaid closes the album with a downtempo track that unfolds with the rustle of mellow drum shuffles, delicate instrumentation and tender vocals, casting a dreamy, psych-tinged finale to his superb new album. With three solo albums now behind him, kingcaid stands as both a continuation of Michael Kingcaid’s past and a reinvention of it while still exploring the fringes of his songwriting voice, one record at a time.

Listen to Colorblind Quarterback below