Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster
II
If Maylene and the Sons of Disaster were a boxer and this album were the next stage of their career, they are headed for a title. The self-titled debut album of late 2005 had it all: a straight-up knockout punch, killer packaging that looked like a well-worn vinyl sleeve, and a strong live show to back it all up. It was like they came out of nowhere and quickly got everyone’s attention. Something this cool was supposed to be on Tooth & Nail, not some Nashville-based label called Mono vs. Stereo. It wasn’t like they invented a new sound, but the passion, grit and performance all came across as totally fresh. This follow-up, unpretentiously called II (unless you call following in the footsteps of Led Zeppelin pretentious), starts where their debut ended and ups the ante ever so slightly with a little bit bigger and wetter production. If confidence is a sound that could be measured, there’d be a few pounds of it on this album. They still sound just like they look: dirty, Southern, and mean. They seem to be setting their own trend, putting a cool, retrospective and pretty ballad like “Tale Of The Runaways” near the end a la “Just Wanted To Make Mother Proud.” It’s hard to pick a standout cut, as tunes like “Memories of the Grove,” “Dry The River” and “Raised by the Tide” rock so heartily. One can’t help but smile over the repeated refrain of the latter: “We can’t help but be blessed / when you’ve been raised by God’s finest.” This album is simply great. [Ferret/Mono vs. Stereo] Doug Van Pelt
This album review was originally published in the May/June Issue (#125) of HM Magazine. Order the Print Version to read tons more reviews. You can do this online or find this issue on newsstands. You can NOW read this entire feature in the current FREE online edition of HM Magazine. Future digital issues can be purchased online for $1.99, and digital subscriptions will be only $6.
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Comments
By jason
yes yes, they're wonderfully dirty, & delightfully gritty...yet you can't help but sing along!
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