The Mavericks have always been coy about being pigeon-holed. Melding neo-traditional country with alternative, Tex-Mex and more, it was almost a surprise when they signed with the Big Machine Label Group-owned mainstream country label Valory Music in 2012. Since then they have released the hugely successful ‘In Time’ and gone on to tour all over the world, some kind of reinstatement to their former glory pre-hiatus (which occurred in 2003). The Mavericks, all these years on, are still a band to be talked about, and it’s no different for their latest record ‘Mono’, which was released this week. Referring directly to the monaural style of recording it uses, ‘Mono’ is pitched as a hark-back to a more classic, vintage sound and unforgettable tunes and love songs.
And a classic, vintage sound and unforgettable tunes and love songs is what it delivers. From the first note of jazzy, tropical opener ‘All Night Long’, apart from being surprisingly clear quality for an album recorded in mono, we are confronted with an altogether throwback sound that isn’t afraid to growl and spit. Yes, we may hear the long-lost echoes of smooth 1950s/60s traditional country on the likes of ‘Pardon Me’ and ‘Out The Door’, but the band are doing plenty of shouting and clamoring on this record, and they’re doing it with joy and reckless abandon. Take ‘(Waiting For) The World To End’ for example; pulling from Latin and ska influences, the fast-paced ditty unravels into an extended instrumental cacophony that almost gets out of hand before it is reined back in, and it is far from alone here. ‘What You Do To Me’ falls into a similar musical vein with all metaphorical trumpets blaring, and ‘Stories We Could Tell’, while a little slower and more swing-inspired, isn’t afraid to bounce around in effervescent swagger.
Elsewhere, they tale on the genre of soul in the dramatic and passionate ‘The Only Question Is’, with lead singer Raul Malo building the tension until by the end he’s really going for it. At any time during the twelve tracks we permanently feel as if the band might just explode into chaos, or at the very least change musical tack completely, but that’s part of the fun and part of the novelty of hearing them hold onto restraint. Even gentler songs like the folky, 60s-style ‘Let It Rain (On Me)’ and the fantastically bluesy, almost Motown-esque ‘What Am I Supposed To Do’ have a surprising amount of things going on with thick, lush arrangements and textures, making sure that the entire band is involved and then some. You can hardly argue value for money with this one!
And just like the carefree 60s pop track ‘Summertime (When I’m With You)’, much of the takeaway of ‘Mono’ is just how easy it is to listen to. The lyrics tend to take a back seat while the instrumentation is front and center, but I think if the lyrics were anything more than simple tales about love and life it would become just too complicated. They are extremely talented musicians, and their opportunity to shine should not be clouded by too intense an emotion or story. It’s just not how they work, or at least not on this album. And such an approach allows them a new lease of life, letting rip in a way that is flattering to their abilities and conveying the most purely ecstatic mood, even amongst the sadder songs. So by the time we get to the closing song, a cover of the late Tex-Mex king Doug Sahm’s 1992 hit ‘Nitty Gritty’, it seems delightfully appropriate. On ‘Mono’, The Mavericks are not only paying tribute to an outdated recording style, but they are also tipping their hat to all of the genres and legendary artists that they grew up with and which inspired them. This album may be entirely their own in some respects, but in truth it is shared between many for the collective musicianship that brought us through the last sixty years and led to many wonderful things.
‘Mono’ is a reminder that The Mavericks still have more to give. But if it also happened to be their last studio album, it would be a great note to end on, too.
