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Rock Beat International
Issue No 23 - June 2003 |
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 White Flag: Joe Mannix by Geoff Cabin |
New York-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist Joe Mannix is a top-notch songsmith who pens wonderful songs that consistently combine strong melodies with lyrics that are both heartfelt and thoughtful. His prior album with the band Mannix, Come to California, was one of the musical highlights of 2001, and the new follow-up album, White Flag, is another outstanding effort. White Flag goes in a more acoustic, although hardly laid-back, direction, while continuing to draw on folk, pop, and roots rock. The album was produced by Dave Rave and Glenn Marshall and features a stellar cast of supporting musicians. |  |
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The songs on the album are uniformly strong, but standout tracks include "Bellerose Hill," a melodic, midtempo number in a folk-rock vein; "Bamboo," a beautiful, haunting ballad backed by acoustic and electric guitars and organ; "Higher Intervention," a rootsy rocker with a great refrain; "Everyman," a thoughtful meditation on the events of 9/11; and "Last Gang in Town," an exuberant and celebratory number with a foot-stomping beat and sing-along refrain. White Flag demonstrates that Joe Mannix is a major talent who should be heard. Perhaps this is the album that will bring him the wider recognition that he deserves. |
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