THE MOMMYHEADS

Delicate Friction
Dromedary [10/18/2011]

The Mommyheads haven’t had the smoothest trajectory. Death, desertion, less than stable record labels and the inability to bring the band a broader audience all inhibited their progress from the latter part of the ‘90s practically up until the present day. That’s a shame really, because based on the creative prowess demonstrated by this, a comeback effort of sorts, their imaginative approach is still undiminished. Trolling the transom that connects power pop and prog rock, they exhibit a penchant for rich arrangements that still keeps their hooks intact. Sudden shifts of tempo and quick bursts of harmony provide an element of uncertainty, but they never get so indulgent that listeners find themselves lost in the shuffle. Rather, this is an experimental sound that’s both heady and radio ready -- muscular, melodic and inherently pleasing from start to finish.

Happily, any hint of pretense dissipates quickly, and with songs like “I Wanna Stay,” “Moonlight Crawl” and “Delicate Friction,” there’s ample potential for harmonious sing-alongs. Notably too, the Mommyheads demonstrate their ability to transplant their skills from the studio to the stage; three bonus tracks recently recorded in concert in Scandinavia – two of them songs from the studio set – find them easily recreating those arrangements in a spontaneous live setting.

The Mommyheads may not be top of mind as far as connecting to the populace at large, but Delicate Friction ought to bring them at least some of the kudos this bunch clearly deserves.
--Lee Zimmerman

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