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Mighty Mojos self release [Release date 21.01.13]
The Mighty Mojos certainly live up to their name. The band’s old school approach to high octane rhythm and blues (aka r&b) is a welcome breath of fresh air in a musical landscape dominated by the formulaic and the mundane.
Of course you could argue that an r&b album with an apparent mission to emulate the style and class of say Nine Below Zero is hardly breaking the mould. But The Mighty Mojos offer the complete package of well rafted songs, played with vim and vigour and nailed by a snappy production.
Guitarist and producer David McClean contributes 6 songs and a co-write and it’s a testament to his abilities that his writing effortlessly stands up alongside 3 standards and a Keb Mo cover. Mighty Mojos manage to fuse an abrasive playing style with strong generic material. The 11 eleven tracks are all fired up by the excellent rhythm section of Ali Mckenzie on bass and drummer David Kennedy, who know when to stick or twist – or rather, when to shuffle, swing or rock out.
David adds some imperious slide figures and Alan Ward adds several bursts of tasty harp to compliment a lived in growl. He evokes Los Lobos vocalist David Hidalgo on ‘I Want It All’ and sounds like Canned Heat’s Bob Hite on ‘Cindylou’, as if to suggest that if you are going to borrow, you might as well borrow from the best.
David Mclean slides all over the place to great effect on the title track and he adds a cutting edge to a sparkling cover of ‘Come On In My Kitchen’. The self penned ‘Devil In Disguise’ is another highlight and features a crisp rhythm track, a caustic vocal growl, and an uplifting slide break, while ‘Back To You’ suggests the band are as adept on a pedal steel led American piece, as they are on hard driving r&b.
A brace of live tracks – including the ripping intensity of ‘Don’t You Lie To Me’- also gives us a flavour of how the Mighty Mojos must regularly light up their native Ballymena music scene.
If this cd had been recorded by an American band, it would be suitably marketed as a heritage blues album. As it is, the Mighty Mojos’ thoughtfully conceived, but hi-energy brand of r&b should win them plenty of new converts in the pubs, clubs and festivals of the land. ‘Hook Line And Sinker’ is a glorious retro snapshot of the true meaning of r&b. **** (4/5) www.mightymojos.com
Review by Pete Feenstra
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