(RAM) The Mommyheads will release their new album, One Eyed Band, on November 9th, 2024, after delving deep into concept record territory with last year's Coney Island Kid. They return again to pushing boundaries while not seeming the least bit concerned about any genre or classification, and still sounding like they're enjoying themselves. Releasing seven LPs in the last six years has only fueled their commitment to originality in an ever changing landscape: well crafted songs, progressive arrangements and deft musicianship keep their sound fresh after 37 years together.
Complexity mixed with simplicity like chocolate mixed with sea salt is the strength of One Eyed Band. The influences are strong but never cluster originality or sentiment. "Chicken Soup" opens the album with a swirling barrage of 12-string guitars and synths setting the stage for a bittersweet yet rebellious undertone found in all those late 70s, early 80s dusty record collections. Adam starts off by singing the mantra: "Breathing , Searching , Failing , Dreaming," leaving us wondering what Genesis would have done if they had made Duke: Part Two? Meanwhile, "Life is a Dream" kicks the door in with a passionately dissonant attack of guitars, disco inspired horns and string arrangements that would keep any Elvis Costello or ABBA fan humming along. One Eyed Band draws us in through fearless sonic exploration and intimate storytelling prevalent from the first guitar note of "Season of our Sound" until the last strum of "Human Being."
Side two continues the journey, starting with the reggae influenced "Risk It All" which musically begs the question: "has anyone ever played a reggae groove in 7/8?"
The song was inspired by the recent events of Russian political prisoner Alexei Navalny. Adam's plaintive lyrics: "They want to silence you 'Cause they see that many can be changed by one" now seem more current than ever.
"The Gift" could be at home on a modern version of the Who's "Tommy" soundtrack. Over the top horns and synths shift back and forth between serene acoustic verses as the band powers through to the final uncompromising note.
One Eyed Band defines the band's continued quest for originality that ebbs and flows like a river making its way through our cultural landscape. You never know where the journey will take you yet you're keenly aware that the voyage is as fruitful and as fun as ever. At this point in their career, The Mommyheads don't feel the need to musically placate or compromise and we are the beneficiaries.
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