Milwaukee’s Mike Mangione shuffles into the spotlight toting a finely crafted LP titled Tenebrae. Recorded over a two-week period in a Lexington warehouse, Mike and his hand-picked band ripped through twelve tight, honestly written, well produced tracks.
I gave Mike’s disc a spin for the first time while shuffling digital paperwork. It must have been the right combination of mellow and soulful, with a few punches in the mix, because I didn’t turn it off until I absolutely had to move on to the next official office procedure.
At a second listen, while doing the evening email thing, I put it in again and couldn’t quite fixate where I’d heard that voice before. It wasn’t necessarily Mike’s own voice. My wife suggested Ben Harper. There is some truth in that. My mind shifted to Beck’s Sea Change. Don’t get me wrong… there’s not a single fingerprint of Nigel Godrich on Tenebrae, but that moody, acoustic-centered songwriting triggered some reference in my brain.
Tonight, now that I’m a few days past deadline (my last review was months late!!) his voice aches with soul, like Martin Sexton, and I love Martin Sexton. And some of the dramatic inflections of Damien Rice, pre-9.
Rich textures of guitar and organ crescendo, lush arrangements fill the voids, I mean, it’s well produced. I’m a huge fan of vocal harmony, and I was listening to CSN (and sometimes Y) the disc before Tenebrae tonight, and I kept hearing room for accentuating melodies. It’s not really fair for me to judge given I’d just listened to perhaps the best American folk-pop gurus. It was something I’d have liked to hear more of in Tenebrae, that’s all.
I do like the single, “It’s Me, Not You.” But I did scratch my head trying to figure out where I’d heard a similar verse melody. Mike’s childhood influences are great… lots of the same for me, but I’d like to hear more of David Byrne’s influence. Don’t get me wrong, the songs jump out, but with a familiar vibe. I’m always looking for something new… and this album doesn’t give the listener an unfamiliar musical ledge from which to gaze into the abyss. It does, however, hone the “sound” of folk-pop like few others.
Artist: Mike Mangione
Album: Tenebrae
Release Date: 08.05.08
Our Rating: 6.8
