Mr. Charisma – “Some People”

The striking dark silhouette on the cover artwork sets a great mood, filling the frame with lonely utility poles and train cars under a hazy yellow sky. It perfectly introduces what Daniel Austin and Chris Hatfield are building on this collection. These high school friends spent decades in the Houston hardcore scene playing in Die Young and Will To Live, but this project gives them a completely different space for quiet, melodic expression. It mixes classic singer songwriter traditions with gothic folk, trading loud guitars for raw acoustic arrangements.

Recorded entirely at home using a laptop and a couple of microphones, the four tracks have an honest, unpolished energy. Chris Hatfield carries the melodies with a deep baritone that has the grit of old outlaw country singers. Daniel Austin handles the acoustic guitar parts and backing arrangements perfectly, keeping the instrumentation simple and memorable.

My favorite track is the opening title song “Some People”, a cautionary tale about dealing with untrustworthy characters that reminds you to stand up for yourself. The band balances this with “What Matters Most,” a sharp satirical look at performative political agitators. They also pull off a brilliant acoustic version of the Motörhead track “God Was Never on Your Side” to target religious hypocrisy, before closing the release with the harsh realism of “You Better Win”.

I love this whole release, and it shows exactly how far clear vision can take you without a professional studio. You should definitely listen to their previous release “Evil in This World” to hear where this project began. Make sure to follow Mr. Charisma on their Facebook page to support their work and stay updated on new music throughout the rest of this year, because they are making incredible art that deserves your full attention.