The measured arrangement and the drone of Fetters ’ chugging guitar are reminiscent of “ Play Your Guitar ” from 2013 ’ s Saint Ain ’ t . Make no mistake ; Fetters can still bend brains as a musical acrobat , tonemeister , and lead guitarist . The young Fetters allegedly worshipped at the altars of icons like Hendrix , Beck , Rundgren , and Zappa . He continues to do his six-string gurus proud on Mother , even with arrangements that remain tightly paced and compact while incorporating piano sounds and eschewing shred fests … most of the time . The coda of the beautiful but suitably melancholy “ Lamento ” erupts into an ecstatic guitar solo like a soul taking flight to the great beyond . The song reflects upon shared dreams that passed away alongside the departure of an unnamed lifelong friend . The lyrics include fond , brotherly jabs and tearful regrets . Following Arduser ’ s death in late September , it ’ s natural to read his presence into the song . The bluesy “ Girl on the Q ” features Raisins drummer Bam Powell ’ s brushed-snare percussion . The song draws on Fetters ’ recent sojourn in Brooklyn , with a skittering and frenetic guitar solo that reflects the sense of being upended by new surroundings and routines . Fetters has told stories suggesting that this effect was deliberate , as the song was prompted by a real-life tumble onto the subway tracks . The album concludes with the good-natured nudge of “ Ready .” Judgement Day may be around the corner or already here , but the best anyone can do is to act upon the simple mantra of “ Pay attention , Stupid .” It works as a personal , spiritual , or ecological metaphor .
The album is as engaging as ever thematically and is utterly charming musically . Fetters wrote about the futility of chasing success long ago in songs like “ Try ” from Lefty Loose , Righty Tight ( and more recently in Ship Shake ’ s “ Nobody Now ”), but hopefully , this Mother will draw a few more into the brood under her wing . ( robfetters . net )
– Jeff Elbel
9 Third Mind 2
( Yep Roc )
This album represents the welcome return of an unlikely supergroup of musically disparate characters who find inspiration in each other ’ s company . The project begins with five overlooked gems from the ‘ 60s underground scene and makes them the band ’ s own . “ All songs spontaneously arranged by Third Mind ,” say the liner notes of the improvisational affair . The personalities of the players and their willingness to bend toward the ideas of their partners are evident as the songs unfold . The group ’ s prime mover Dave Alvin ( of The Blasters ) has cited albums including Miles Davis ’ Bitches Brew as influential on Third Mind ’ s experimental and spontaneous process . Vocalist Jesse Sykes steps to the fore on 2 with results that honor Third Mind ’ s original mandate while expanding it . The Electric Flag ’ s “ Groovin ' is Easy " is rooted in her vocal and acoustic guitar . The electric guitar
sounds of Alvin and David Immerglück ( of Counting Crows , etc .) tangle and weave with chiming countermelody , reverb-drenched leads , and psychedelic wah-wah freak-outs . Bassist Victor Krummenacher ( of Camper Van Beethoven , etc .) anchors the song with a suitably easy groove , while Michael Jerome ( a veteran of Richard Thompson ’ s band Better Than Ezra , etc .) thunders , crashes , and recedes like the tide with expressive percussion . The combination of Sykes ’ vocals and the expansive push-andpull recall Jefferson Airplane . “ Go out and chase whatever you ’ re craving ,” sings Sykes . “ It doesn ’ t have to be so hard on you .” Gene Clark ’ s crestfallen “ Why Not Your Baby ” follows recast from its tumbling and harmony-laden folk-rock origins . The song glides atop guitar arpeggios and Willie Aron ’ s shimmering Hammond organ . The downbeat song achieves liftoff with the mournful cry of a guitar feedback solo . The Paul Butterfield
Blues Band ’ s reflective “ In My Own Dream ” is a shade less haunted than the original , transformed into a swinging second-line shuffle by Jerome ’ s deft rhythm . Nonetheless , Sykes ’ vocal channels the song ’ s troubled mood . “ The strongest river can ’ t flow uphill ,” she sings . Krummenacher trades the Blues Band ’ s loping bass line for deep , droning notes to ground the arrangement . Immerglück and Alvin trade solos in catharsis . The moody and meditative “ Tall Grass ” is the lone original song composed for 2 by Alvin and Sykes , and it fits well alongside the other pieces here . Immerglück ’ s mellotron strings place the song among the band ’ s psych-pop influences with a touch of “ Strawberry Fields Forever ,” while Alvin plays a fiery Telecaster solo mid-song . The arrangement concludes with weeping slide guitar and Eastern flair . The Jaynetts ’ deceptively upbeat 1963 piano-pop single “ Sally Go ’ Round the Roses ” becomes an
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