Who doesn’t need a little contemporary glam rock goodness mixed with three-part vocal harmonies, backing strings, brass and a dash of Midwestern balls to keep the party going? I don’t care if the M’s aren’t "breaking new ground" with a propulsive recycling of Marc Bolen licks and fuzzed-out production recalling everything everybody ever liked about the Kinks. The opening track "Plan of the Man" is a song ripe with energy, beginning with a simple drum/guitar/tambourine rhythm that is thoughtfully layered with additional instrumentation and vocals until reaching a packed summation brimming wit feedback and blaring horns. "Shawnee Dupree" gives a nod to Beck-like production without the sampling or creepy Scientology vibe, rehashing a trippy George Harrison, minimalist guitar wail.
With a loaded sound that could easily get out of control in the wrong hands, I have to compliment the fine arrangements and overall production that carry this mother-load from start to finish. It’s no easy task to meld a sousaphone alongside the finer tunings of a violin on top of rock vocals and searing electric guitar. This type of production is an audio balancing act that usually ends up sounding overly ambitious a best. Even in the capable hands of Phil Spector, the Ramones 1980 release "End of the Century" is bogged down by all the background nonsense that should have enhanced the band’s core sound, not suffocated it. It’s a tough thing to back what is essentially simple, straightforward music with elaborate audio washes and not lose the visceral rock edge in the process.
"Going Over It" slows down the mix but doesn’t lose the loud, incorporating hand claps and more well-sung refrains. When it comes to "Trucker Sound", I’ve got a fever and the only cure is more cowbell! Forget the cowbell, the string section is astounding and takes center stage for the last half-minute of this tune, creating a lovely segue into the more somber "Light I Love", complete with campfire harmonica over more lush orchestration. Hell, the drummer doesn’t hit a skin until more than midway through the piece. "My Gun" passes as more of a ballad, giving the drummer some, letting him loose on nicely contained rolls that punctuate a bevy of tight melodies. The title track "Future Women" is a sweet ditty that builds from a soft introduction into a catchy tempo shift at the tail end of the track. These guys definitely rehearsed everything down to last bass line, as the respective shifts in sound are flawlessly executed and are often proceeded by unexpected little flares: ivory tickles, sudden silent halts or even weird organ grinds.
"Never Do This Again" takes what could pass as a Kiss inspired crowd-pleaser if it weren’t for the more skilled musicianship and lack of theatrical irony. "Mansion in the Valley" and "Underground" stick to the less than three minute pop song format with more upbeat styling and flashy guitar work. The closing "Darling Lucia" clocks in at over six minutes and grinds itself out with the apt refrain "you can start it all over". The M’s build you up and break you down song by song, but satisfy every time. The music is curious, familiar and welcomed all at once. The M’s have reaffirmed my notions of why smart, sexy rock never loses its appeal.
|