Robert Fairweather & the Luv Machine - Big Maracas
After reviewing the Luv Machine's Blizzard in Chicago in an earlier review for this column, I was expecting Big Maracas (released in June of this year, or 2005 for those of you who have been living under a gigantic rock) to be more of the same. Now, I truly do not mean any insult by that, and if you don't believe me, I'll prove it. Think of it like this; why would a retro blues rock band, who have mastered one of the more technical schools of rock and built a decent career out of it, with several releases and years of playing shows together, and all sorts of accolades usually befitting a much larger band, need to change anything at all? It's the whole principle of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," and really, there wasn't much broke on Blizzard if anything at all. I guess that's why Big Maracas surprised me so much; tiny traces of Latin have been added to the mix along with oodles of lush, psychedelic vibes. In fact, the band has (and this is apparent to me after only about four songs or so) added so much extra depth to their mellow rock that it almost sounds like a different band. The songs have taken on a deeper complexity, often sounding a little bit more rocking or smoking than the predecessors of Blizzard. To add even more change, keyboards seem to pop up a lot on this CD, allowing for more variety in the sonics department. It all makes for a swell time, as well as a CD that excludes new levels of jamming cool.The title track isn't wasted for a second, and as such, "Big Maracas" kicks things off right away. The song sways in on a cool Caribbean breeze of textured, clean, electric guitars, and clangy drums. The song slowly builds into a rocking climax, and I can say that this song already eclipses some of the best material on Blizzard. "Goin' for Tha Rush" has a spacey, tripped out vibe that almost harkens to Pink Floyd rather vaguely at times. An odd song out of left-field, and a great swerve from the band as well. "Show Me Tha Money" has a killer keyboard tone backing a jamming bass line and some good old fashioned funk. "Into the Mist" is a meandering folk ballad that is one of the album's best highlights; I can already picture three or four movies playing this song at that pivotal "protagonist driving a cool car into the sunset" scene. The groove heaven that is "James Brown" is so freaking retro, yet fresh at the same time, you could party to it for a generation or two. "Ain't Stopping My Train" is a fantastic ballad of rustic guitar picking, and the polar opposite that is "Don't Get Hustled" follows it up with blistering guitar licks and random insanity. I'd probably pick "Hustled" is the best track here, so fun is it to listen to the awesome guitar pieces. "The Emasculator" is a quiet ballad about witchy women, and the gospel-themed keyboards of "Where Did The Time Go?" mesh perfectly with the blazing Southern guitar splendor. "Go to Mississippi" is a throwback worthy of Blizzard meanwhile; the tune has a swampy boogie to it the band explored on a few of its earlier tracks. I can say without a doubt that final track "This is What You Get" is the heaviest Luv Machine track I've heard, the band entering stoner rock bliss with a low groove and flat out rock 'n roll. Wow...Big Maracas heralds big change. The amount of new directions present here is staggering, and it seems the Luv Machine has been upgraded many times over. Cool, confident, collected, and even a tad eclectic, Big Maracas is like that big Pinata at your 8th birthday party; no matter which angle you decided to whack it at, some kind of candy everyone likes is bound to spill out. The adage holds true here; give this puppy a whirl and most likely a song or two will please any fan of music. In closing, if you're looking for something fun try shaking these Maracas next. I'm willing to bet good money no one who does will feel hustled in the slightest.
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