Album review: THE MENTULLS – Time Flies
There’s already a buzz surrounding this Yorkshire teen outfit mainly because of their young age and the fact they sound like a band twice their age. And it’s true to say that on ‘Time Flies’ their third album (!!!), the band explores the kind of deep grooves, coruscating riffs and solo’s that wouldn’t disgrace a mid-career release by an established artist.
Unapologetically rooted in the 60′s but infused with a boundless youthful energy and subtle proggy overtones, The Mentulls apparently live for moments of real feel and dig deep for a mix of wholesome grooves and sonic drones, given their shape and texture by some ‘in the moment’ spontaneity.
The Mentulls comprise Andrew Pipe on guitar and vocals, Jamie Pipe on keyboards and Nick Colman on drums. And somehow they manage to create an amazing wall of sound without the glue of a bass player. Sure there are plenty of examples of bands with a keyboard player filling in the bass parts – Matt Schofield immediately springs to mind – but no other trio to my knowledge creates such a dense wall of layered sound.
‘Time Flies’ is an album with a scope way beyond the band’s tender years. The guitar tones are resonant and deep but never strained and each track is a slow building ferment that sets them on a path of boundless aural exploration.
The opening title track for example, is a slow building, repeated riff driven piece with cleverly mixed vocals, and it sounds like a cross between the Joe Gooch led TYA and Robin Trower’s brooding presence. The emphasis is on a hypnotic drone and real sonic presence, topped by effortless licks from 16 year old Andrew Pipe.
But this album is truly the sum of its talented parts as evidenced by the opening track which suddenly explodes into a quasi shuffle. And though the track doesn’t quite achieve its aim, the 60′s style guitar and keyboard interplay are impressive enough to be reprised on the instrumental ‘Blues In C’.
A very familiar riff launches ‘Motorway of Madness’, on a lovely layered piece with nuanced vocals that only lacks some subtle changes. ‘I Don’t Trust’ is built round another imposing wall of sound and a mellifluous vocal, with lashing of guitar and keyboards, while ‘State of Disbelief’ is an exercise in dynamics as the band bring things down as Andrew teases out the most delicate of trembling notes, before the track explodes into full blown jam on the back of an ascending keyboard line.
‘The Track With No Name’ is different again, with the piano intro and harmony guitars parts tracing a lovely melody line, while Andrew adds aching vocals on the dreamy ‘What It is’, which is the kind of groove beloved by Mick Taylor.
And in those moments when his vocals are slightly exposed as on the meandering and slow building organ led ‘After The Rain’, he makes up for it with a subtly constructed solo. He bides his time and changes tone and attack as the song works its way to a full blown conclusion worthy of an impressive album such as this.
‘Time Flies’ may not be quite the finished article but for a band at this stage of their career it’s startlingly good.
*****
Review by Pete Feenstra
THE MENTULLS – TIME FLIES 2013 TOUR
JANUARY
18th - Pop Podium Romein, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands (with Wishbone Ash)
19th – De Pul, Uden, The Netherlands (with Wishbone Ash)
20th – ECI Cultuufababriek, Roermond, The Netherlands (with Wishbone Ash)
25th – The Skegness Rock & Blues Festival (Blues Matters Stage)
FEBRUARY
16th – Guisborough R & B Club
MARCH
1st – The Grand, Clitheroe (with Chantel McGregor)
9th – Mickelton R & B Club, County Durham (with King King)
15th – Real Time Music Live, Chesterfield (with Slack Alice)
24th – Back Stage @ The Green Hotel, Kinross, Perthshire (part of Fifestock)
APRIL
7th – The Elme Hall Rock & Blues Club, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
19th – The Camerons Club, Hartlepool (plus support from Lucy Zirins)
MAY
17th – The Saltburn Blues Club, Saltburn (with Hokie Joint)
19th – The Saints Rooms, Cockermouth (double header with Lucy Zirins)
29th – The Quakerhouse, Darlington
JUNE
16th – Clowne Rock & Blues Club, Nr. Chesterfield
JULY
4th – BJ’s Blues Club, Chorley
5th – Harrogate Blues Bar
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
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UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.
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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024
ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)
Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
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