RECORD REVIEW
by FFWD Staff

JOE MANNIX
White Flag
Bongo Beat/Outside

When Jackson Browne recorded his album Running on Empty while on tour (including some parts recorded on the bus), he captured the feeling of the open road. Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral evoked the dread and horror of the Charles Manson spree, having been recorded in the house where Sharon Tate was murdered. With the help of some of Canada’s best producers (Glenn Marshall and Dave Rave), Long Island-born singer-songwriter Joe Mannix chose an old church in Hamilton to lay down his simple, melodic solo debut. The house of worship seems an appropriate setting for Mannix’s quietly beautiful music.

A staple on the New York underground folk scene for years, Mannix creates a sound – sweet, honest and completely stripped down – that can withstand any trend in any decade. With some elegantly understated accompaniment, memories of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Paul Simon echo throughout. If you have ever sat been to a small club and been blown away by the natural artistry of a man, his guitar and a harmonica around his neck, you have an idea of what to expect from this whimsical folk collection.

LENORE HUME