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Musicianship
– 8.5 out of 10
Hailing from the hometown of
the Hoosiers (Bloomington, IN), Mobley is a relatively new band seeking
to drive a stake into the heart of the sluggish and stereotypically boring
American music scene! Their twisted
sense of rhythm/pattern/melody in their music is a bit tedious at first; if you
are patient, though, I think you may agree that they are a band that is given
to moments of pure genius!
To me, the
member that makes his mark early on in the CD is drummer Cole Watson. He is a man possessed, hammering the cymbals and skins with
reckless abandon! As you listen, though,
you find that his work is inspired, and his playing becomes evident as the driving
force behind the band’s sound! His work,
along with that of fellow rhythm section member Peter Blackett (bass) helps to
build a solid sound that guitarists Chris Ly and Trey
Lockerbie use quite well as a launching pad! They are very capable players, matching the rhythm
changes of Watson and Blackett, making the twists and turns
more dramatic with each song!
Finally, Mobley’s sound is rounded out by the vocal prowess of Eric Butte! His vocal range is huge, and he uses that
range to great effect, providing a roller-coaster effect in the journey through
The Gentle Drug! At one point, his vocals soar to emotional
heights, before dipping to melancholy mid-to-low passages that are equally
impressive. Together, all of these
pieces make for a listening experience that is impossible to duplicate, and not
soon forgotten! I love Mobley’s musical
sound, and if possible, make it almost acceptable to be called a Hoosier!
Songwriting – 9.5
out of 10
I have to
admit, it took me a bit to really understand the effect that I was hearing in
Mobley’s music. On about the third
hearing, though, it finally came to me: their music is Beat Poetry set to
music! Jack Kerouac would love these
songs! There is a sense of meter that is
off-beat in the songs, but there is also a pattern and logic in them! Intelligent, whimsical lyrics, mixed with
awesome musical ability, make Mobley one of my true favorites! If this is their first effort, I am giddy
with anticipation, and I look forward to their future releases! If they don’t flame out creatively, and are
able to temper their passion and their emotion over time, I think that these
guys have a big future together!
Sound
Quality/Professionalism – 9 out of 10
The casual
listener may not fully appreciate all that Mobley has accomplished on this CD! Because it is a debut project, and because
money does not grow on trees, it seems that they are forced to make compromises
in the area of sound quality. As such,
if you don’t take the time to really hear the music, I’m afraid you might
discount the overall impact that this band is capable of making in today’s Indie
market. Sadly, this is the plight of
many Indie bands today; the quality continues to improve all the time,
though! Future releases should be
awesome!
Packaging – 10
out of 10
I love the
artwork on The Gentle Drug! The
extremely cool robots seem to tell a story - see if you can figure it out! Besides the art, I loved the fact that
lyrics for all the songs are included, as are musical/production credits. From the content on the band’s website, and in
the CD packaging and music, it’s pretty easy to see that the guys in Mobley are
very creative, intelligent people!
Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to meet them in person one of these days!
Favorite Tracks
Mouth
Love The Holidays
Crrazy
It’s So Easy
Blood Royal
Overall Rating – 9 out of 10
I have
really come to the point where I realize that reviewing CDs is a cool job!! Because I feel that I tend to be
narrow-minded with regard to my musical/artistic preferences, I feel that
reviewing forces me to be more open-minded, and to see the value and the
greatness that exists in music that is outside of my normal preference, and off
the beaten path!
Mobley is definitely a band that fits this description. Their music is off-kilter, and their songs
aren’t mainstream! Just the same, I feel that The Gentle Drug is an excellent CD - one
that you should definitely hear very soon!
Their songwriting, which incorporates an awesome sense of rhythm and
melody, makes this a CD that you’ll definitely want to hear again and again! Though there are small imperfections in the
overall sound quality, I think that this CD is a great first effort from a band
that has a lot to offer their audience, both now, and in the future!
Mobley’s songwriting style, which incorporates unusual meter and liberal,
offbeat melodies, will leave you wanting more!
Get a copy of The Gentle Drug,
and invest an hour or so a day over the course of a week in hearing what the
band has to offer. You’ll definitely
like what you hear, and be left wanting more!
—Mark Lush, Midwestbands.com, 11/07/05
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