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Rock Beat International
Issue No 21 - Winter 2001/2002 |
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Come to California: Mannix Along with yellow smiley faces and polyester pants, double albums defined the seventies. Any band that recorded a double album was viewed as ambitious, and it was indeed a major event whenever such a project was issued. But like yellow smiley faces and polyester pants, double albums eventually fell out of favor with the mass public, due to a combination of a tight economy and short attention spans. Save for greatest hits packages or compilations, bands seldom release double albums in this faster-than-lightning day and age of soundbytes mentality. Therefore, it's quite a surprise to see the latest and second album from the New York-based Mannix is of the double variety. And what's more, Come to California is a concept album, as lead singer Joe Mannix adopts the role of a weepy and shattered man living on the East Coast, obsessing over his lost love, Geraldine, who has fled to California. |
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The earthy roots music of Mannix is perfectly suited for the subject matter that drives Come to California. While the songs themselves aren't exactly slow and sleepy, a dark and moody ambience does prevail, but there's certainty enough juice and jangle here to rise above the occasion providing the material with a shimmery sheen flanked by oodles of ripe melodies. Come to California is extremely well-written and well-played. The members of Mannix are first-rate musicians and their instrumental prowess crackles with intensity. Folk-scented pop rock is clearly what they specialize in, and there's no argument they're one of the best of the bunch. Aside from possessing an earnest feel for the music, the band tucks their snappy hooks and breezy harmonies in all the right places. |
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| The title track of Come to
California launches the show off in mighty fine fettle and tends to
recall Neil Young and Crazy Horse, sans the hairy distortion. A sweeping
fusion of ringing guitars and smooth and sturdy vocals anchor the
catchy cut, which nicely sets the standard for the rest of the numbers
on the album. It's a known fact that most music fans don't really
pay much attention to lyrics, but here's a record
where you're forced to listen to the words because they're delivered
in a way that instantly draws you in and makes you want to know what
exactly is going on with the character. And it doesn't hurt
that the music accompanying the lyrics is easy to listen to, as the
tunes are basically performed in a straight-forward manner, which
ably illustrates Mannix's own singular brand of roots-flavored pop
and roll.
Plenty of resonant piano work appears on Come to California, lending the album to cast a decidedly romantic finish, although a melancholic air continues to administer the story. The brassy timbre of a saxophone adds an extra bit of class to songs such as "Heard You Got Home" and "Holding It All Together." Further noteworthy tracks on Come to California are "Sunset and Vine" (which slyly slips in an ode to Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street"). "Tired of Thinking of You" and "Gasoline." Rife with crisp arrangements a rhythm section that reads each other's minds, radio-ready vocals, guitars that alternate between acoustic and electric, and naked emotions galore, the record is nothing short of a rock solid effort. You don't have to be nursing z broken heart to relate to Come to California. That's just how accessible the album is. Only a band like Mannix could pull this off. There's inarguably a host of talented folk pop bands around these days, but what separates these cats from the crowd is their gift for writing and playing tunes that are imaginative and inspiring. To be sure, thousands upon thousands have recorded songs dealing with broken relationships, but there's something very special about Come to California. Hear it yourself and you will understand why! |
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