The album opens with the title track’s combination of southern-rock-y/Young-ish sound and an effective C, S & N vocal-finale, which is followed with a perfect melody of “Heard you got home”, hidden behind an almost grungy guitar wall of sound and, with it’s rootsy orientation, to this department can be added “Highway lines”, enriched with the great Kristin Pinell “Keef-riffs”. What really makes Mannix a special band, are some of Joe’s compositions, that represent some of the prime contributions to the “encyclopedia of timeless melodies” like “Flag and my flower” or “Leave the past behind” with some twelve stringed moments by another “rook”, Michael Mazzarella and the countrified pop jewels “Geraldine” and “Go west”. Also, here belongs the “oasis of crimsons and clovers” called “Best suit” and “Sunset and vine” that recalls the Macca-sound (The world tonight) but still stays inside of the American borders just like “Holding it all together” that almost makes you moon-dance to the Housemartins/Beautiful South-ern doo-doo’s with a tiny little “big star”-tribute. The national symbols keep coming through an unexpected “darlington county” riff, borrowed from a neighbour, in “Gasoline”, while the acoustic folk pop of “Tired of thinking of you”, with some more Chilton-melodical-reminiscing and a word or two from Dylan/Wilson , reminds us of Mannix’s past life/debut.

With an album that gathers all the defining moments of the American musical legacy and with an author like Joe, Mannix are ready to take over the vacant position of national r’n’r heroes..