Album Review: Mary & the Giant - 'We Tend to Grow Older'
“Molasses”, the opening track from Mary & The Giants latest LP, opens with a droning organ. While this may sound somewhat dismal, the music very quickly breaks into a jaunty gallop, including percussive acoustic guitar strums and a sprightly string arrangement. The song is enticing, and draws the listener in with unique percussion and front man Zac Fiddles velvety vocals. “Perception is so relative it makes my stomach turn,” Fiddles sings, as if embodying the thoughts and feelings of every up-in-coming band in today’s music scene.
The album continues in a similar fashion, as Mary & The Giant continue to deliver energetic performances with bluesy tracks like “Excuse Me Miss,” and “Crawdads.” “Ordinary People” marks a particularly high point on the album. The song opens with gentle finger picked guitar and melodic violin lines before breaking into an uproar of acoustic instruments. Shortly after the full band kicks in, Fiddles proclaims, “I’m ashamed of who I’ve been.” The band delivers this song about the restrictions of small town life with a certain degree of self-deprecation, but also with optimism. It reflects the dual feelings of pride and shame that many hold towards their hometowns.
The album’s title track, “We Tend to Grow Older,” is perhaps the most enjoyable of this collection. It’s tender, and emotional, and features heartfelt lyrics such as “Everything is as it should be,” and “I miss the scent of home.” It’s a quite finish to a sometimes raucous album, but it perfectly ties up all of the loose ends surrounding the record as a whole. The track is a mature statement of emotion from a band that is bound to get only get better with each release.
Check out Mary & the Giant online at these addresses:
www.maryandthegiant.com
www.facebook.com/maryandthegiant
www.twitter.com/maryandthegiant
www.reverbnation.com/maryandthegiant
www.sonicbids.com/maryandthegiant
www.iwantgoodmusic.com
www.indiemusicnew.com
