release date: Jan. 15, 2013
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,55]
producer: 10,000 Maniacs, various
label: Ruby Wristwatch - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "I Don't Love You Too" - 2. "When We Walked on Clouds" - 10. "Downhill"
Studio album by 10,000 Maniacs with producer credits to more than 15 [!] people is the band's first studio release in 14 years, and also the first to feature new guitarist Jeff Erickson, who substituted Robert Buck after his untimely death in 2000. The band has experienced a heavy change on the members list during these past years. Although, Natalie Merchant didn't take part in the formation period of the band, it is with her as lead vocalist that the band became widely known and was subject of international fame. After her leave in 1993 John Lombardo returned, and Mary Ramsey, who had taken part in the band on viola and backing vocals for only a few years, was then established as the band's new lead singer up until around 2002, when "the band" [Gustafson, Drew and Augustyniak] wanted to continue with a new lead vocalist, Oskar Saville, and also had invited Jeff Erickson to play guitar. That decision led Ramsey and Lombardo to leave the band, however, Ramsey returned around 2006 to play viola and to do backing vocals as she did while Merchant was still in the band. Saville left again in 2007, which (once again) made room for Ramsey singing lead vocals. The formation of the band for this album feature Mary Ramsey on lead vocals, Jeff Erickson on lead guitar, Jerry Augustyniak on drums, and with founding members Steve Gustafson on bass, and Dennis Drew on keyboards.
Actually, this album isn't just all bad. I know I had given up on the band many years ago after Merchant's leave - and not just because of that, but I didn't like the music led by Lombardo and Ramsey. It's not an album I like a lot, but listening to it, just to be updated on their music, it's really quite all right as a 'folk pop' release. All band members are credited for vocals on this album, and that's also the weak spot. There's no great vocal performances here, and the album is just a little over mediocre, but... better than Love Among the Ruins from 1997, their first album with Ramsey on lead vocals. Stylistically, it draws on 'folk' but I actually come to think of more recent albums by British band The Beautiful South, who also plays mixes 'folk' with a more mainstream 'pop / rock' tradition.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]
