THE MAMMALS - SUNSHINER
2018 - Humble Abode Music
It's always nice for review writers when you can slot an artist into a nice fitting genre and the Mammals are such an artist. The genre they slot into? That's easy; they are a folk, folk rock, country, alt. country, old time, Americana, roots, soul, a little Cajun, perhaps even jazz band, and those are only the styles that can be recognized with relative ease! And they do fit comfortably into all of those genres/sub genres and probably much more besides including a large delicious slice of a unique originality. Yes, of course my tongue was firmly in my cheek when I said they were a comfortable fit but it wasn't when I tried to list the genres they cover. The truth is that whilst all of those genres are there none of them are so pronounced that the band can be slotted in to any one of them, it is more a blend of various elements; I'm guessing unwittingly and more by way of a lifetime of influences all distilled into this hugely appealing brew that is 'Sunshiner.'
This is their first new album for about ten years although they have certainly been busy in that time with Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar releasing albums as 'Mike & Ruthy, a collection that includes a 'solo' album from Ruth. The band now consists of the above pair with Mike on vocals, guitars and banjos, Ruth, vocals, fiddle, guitar and ukulele, Konrad Meissner handles drums and percussion, Jacob Silver, bass, Ken Maiuri, piano, organ and guitar and Charlie Rose on pedal steel and banjo. The harmony singers are worth far more than a cursory glance as well. In fact there can be few bands who have been able to call on better singers to back them up than artists of the calibre of Amy Helm, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Sarah Jarosz to name just a few! To that you have to add the fact that the lead vocals are as good as anyone could wish to hear with plenty of soulfulness, warmth, the ability to evoke myriad emotions whoever handles lead on a particular song, all backed up by excellent playing and sublime harmonies.
A speedy harmonica opens Make it true, a song that initially shocks the senses with its dense powerful instrumentation before things settle down and the two vocalists come in with perfect harmonies supported by fiddle, steel guitar and banjo. It is a song that is part 'old timey,' part contemporary country and whilst it may be difficult to imagine, the dynamism of the arrangement gives this beautiful song the power and sense of drama of 'The Band.' On Culture war the harmonica and fiddle give the intro a high lonesome feel, then Mike Ungar comes in with his vocals supported by a beautiful steel guitar and banjo on a gorgeous gentle ballad. Again, the harmonies are excellent on a lyrically unusual song with the arrangement having a contemporary country feel albeit much more expansive than most of what inhabits the charts. A fiddle, banjo, percussion and bass blend with guitars on A fork in the road, a speedy mid tempo song that has Ruth on lead vocal on a composition that has a Cajun feel at times, alt. country or country rock at others, in fact you can listen to this song and hear a variety of generic influences depending on your mood. The lead and harmony vocals are excellent and the arrangement brings an incredible dynamism to a song that doesn't refer to a fork in the road in a literal sense but in the choices of direction we all face in this life. The intro to Sunshiner is by way of keyboards, leading to the perfectly blended harmony vocals aided by a gentle acoustic guitar on this unusual title track that relates to a life lived long after the mines are gone. The couple exchange verses and show remarkable restraint, with occasional background steel guitar creating a haunting atmosphere. The sound gradually deepens with the inclusion of a restrained bass as the harmonies solidify and seem to expand as a gentle mandolin adds lightness to the sound. Finally, a beautiful steel guitar opens Big ideas, soon joined by keyboards and percussion before the couples harmony vocals join in and the sound slowly fills out with the inclusion of the throbbing, melodic bass. As this epic song progresses there are a variety of gentle instrumentation variations that segue in and out of a composition that often takes on a country rooted ambient feel thanks in the main to the steel guitar that weaves in and out.
If ever an album confirmed the wisdom of a band returning it is this one! This is no struggle to recapture past glories, how can it be when they have set the bar even higher than their excellent back catalogue would suggest. I loved the albums that 'Mike & Ruthy' made and won't be upset if they continue, but it is easy to hear why these fourteen tremendous songs suggested the return of the band was a good idea; now let's just hope it's not another ten years before the next 'Mammals' album!
http://www.themammals.love/
It's always nice for review writers when you can slot an artist into a nice fitting genre and the Mammals are such an artist. The genre they slot into? That's easy; they are a folk, folk rock, country, alt. country, old time, Americana, roots, soul, a little Cajun, perhaps even jazz band, and those are only the styles that can be recognized with relative ease! And they do fit comfortably into all of those genres/sub genres and probably much more besides including a large delicious slice of a unique originality. Yes, of course my tongue was firmly in my cheek when I said they were a comfortable fit but it wasn't when I tried to list the genres they cover. The truth is that whilst all of those genres are there none of them are so pronounced that the band can be slotted in to any one of them, it is more a blend of various elements; I'm guessing unwittingly and more by way of a lifetime of influences all distilled into this hugely appealing brew that is 'Sunshiner.'
This is their first new album for about ten years although they have certainly been busy in that time with Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar releasing albums as 'Mike & Ruthy, a collection that includes a 'solo' album from Ruth. The band now consists of the above pair with Mike on vocals, guitars and banjos, Ruth, vocals, fiddle, guitar and ukulele, Konrad Meissner handles drums and percussion, Jacob Silver, bass, Ken Maiuri, piano, organ and guitar and Charlie Rose on pedal steel and banjo. The harmony singers are worth far more than a cursory glance as well. In fact there can be few bands who have been able to call on better singers to back them up than artists of the calibre of Amy Helm, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Sarah Jarosz to name just a few! To that you have to add the fact that the lead vocals are as good as anyone could wish to hear with plenty of soulfulness, warmth, the ability to evoke myriad emotions whoever handles lead on a particular song, all backed up by excellent playing and sublime harmonies.
A speedy harmonica opens Make it true, a song that initially shocks the senses with its dense powerful instrumentation before things settle down and the two vocalists come in with perfect harmonies supported by fiddle, steel guitar and banjo. It is a song that is part 'old timey,' part contemporary country and whilst it may be difficult to imagine, the dynamism of the arrangement gives this beautiful song the power and sense of drama of 'The Band.' On Culture war the harmonica and fiddle give the intro a high lonesome feel, then Mike Ungar comes in with his vocals supported by a beautiful steel guitar and banjo on a gorgeous gentle ballad. Again, the harmonies are excellent on a lyrically unusual song with the arrangement having a contemporary country feel albeit much more expansive than most of what inhabits the charts. A fiddle, banjo, percussion and bass blend with guitars on A fork in the road, a speedy mid tempo song that has Ruth on lead vocal on a composition that has a Cajun feel at times, alt. country or country rock at others, in fact you can listen to this song and hear a variety of generic influences depending on your mood. The lead and harmony vocals are excellent and the arrangement brings an incredible dynamism to a song that doesn't refer to a fork in the road in a literal sense but in the choices of direction we all face in this life. The intro to Sunshiner is by way of keyboards, leading to the perfectly blended harmony vocals aided by a gentle acoustic guitar on this unusual title track that relates to a life lived long after the mines are gone. The couple exchange verses and show remarkable restraint, with occasional background steel guitar creating a haunting atmosphere. The sound gradually deepens with the inclusion of a restrained bass as the harmonies solidify and seem to expand as a gentle mandolin adds lightness to the sound. Finally, a beautiful steel guitar opens Big ideas, soon joined by keyboards and percussion before the couples harmony vocals join in and the sound slowly fills out with the inclusion of the throbbing, melodic bass. As this epic song progresses there are a variety of gentle instrumentation variations that segue in and out of a composition that often takes on a country rooted ambient feel thanks in the main to the steel guitar that weaves in and out.
If ever an album confirmed the wisdom of a band returning it is this one! This is no struggle to recapture past glories, how can it be when they have set the bar even higher than their excellent back catalogue would suggest. I loved the albums that 'Mike & Ruthy' made and won't be upset if they continue, but it is easy to hear why these fourteen tremendous songs suggested the return of the band was a good idea; now let's just hope it's not another ten years before the next 'Mammals' album!
http://www.themammals.love/