
The Mommyheads releases their new album “One Eyed Band” on the 8 November 2024. After delving deep into concept record territory with last year’s “Coney Island Kid”, they’ve come back to push the boundaries again, but still sound like they’re having a great time, not worrying about genre or pigeonholing in the slightest. Seven LPs in six consecutive years has only strengthened their commitment to staying active and original in an ever-changing landscape. Well-crafted songs, deft musicianship and progressive arrangements keep them sounding fresh and relevant after 37 years together.
“Chicken Soup” opens with a swirling barrage of 12-strings and synths, setting the stage with a bittersweet yet rebellious undertone found in all those dusty record collections from the late 70s, early 80s. Adam begins the conversation with a mantra of “Breathing, Searching, Failing, Dreaming”, leaving the listener wondering what Genesis would have done if they had made ‘Duke’ Part 2. Complexity mixed with simplicity, akin to the concept of chocolate mixed with sea salt, is the strength of One Eyed Band. The influences are strong, but never clashing with originality or sentiment. “Life is a Dream” kicks in the door with a dissonant, passionate assault of guitars, disco-inspired horns and string arrangements that would make any Elvis Costello/ABBA fan proud. Sonic exploration mixed with storytelling is prevalent from the first acoustic guitar note of ‘Season of our Sound’ to the last strum of ‘Human Being’.
Side 2 kicks off with the reggae-inspired “Risk It All”. Has anyone ever played a reggae groove in 7/8 time? The lyrics were inspired by recent events involving Russian political prisoner Alexei Navalny. The lyrics “They want to silence you ‘Cause they see that many can be changed by one” seem more true than ever. “The Gift” could be at home on a modern version of The Who’s “Tommy” soundtrack. Over-the-top horns and synths shift between serene acoustic verses as the band pushes through to the final uncompromising note.
“One Eyed Band” defines the band’s ongoing quest for originality, which ebbs and flows like a river making its way through our cultural landscape. You never know where the journey will take you, but you know that the journey is as fruitful and fun as ever; at this point in their career, The Mommyheads feel no need to compromise musically, and we are the beneficiaries.