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"Racket Of Three" Review Featured In The Cutting Edge Magazine
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Mambo Sons
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Review of "Racket Of Three"
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acket of Three is the third recording for Mambo Sons since their inception in 1999.
As the title suggests, they are big fans of Humble Pie, T-Rex and The Small Faces. A
lighthearted trio, they employ Tom Guerra on guitar/ vocals, Scott Lawson on
bass/lead vocals and Joe Lemieux on drums. Their disc starts out sounding a bit like
Jet (who in turn sound like The Kinks) with a great '60s garage riff in "Play Some
Rock & Roll." Adding a slice of barroom-boogie piano punches up the slick pop tune
and accompanies a signature Guerra solo. Genuine and flirty, the 12 songs here
attach themselves closely to catchy hooks and tasty melodies.
An honest production showcases a band in fine form. From the sweetness of acoustic
numbers "Safe With Me" and "Valentine" to the CSN-like texture of "Brandy On The
Shelf" and Beatle-esque "You Broke My Mind," we hear technically proficient
musicians with a wide range of influences. Most of the record sticks with a '60-70's
era SoCal sound mixing country roots and rock senilities. "Man Of Steel" and the
bluesy "Delta Slide" are prime examples of their using slide guitar, lap steel and
Hammond B-3 to full effect.
Most thrilling is when the Mambos turn it up a notch kicking out the speakers with
electric swagger. "Been Out Of Touch" runs a great beat and "Sidewinder Walk" hits
the nail on the head with a strutting bass-line, an infectious chorus and a ripping
guitar lead. "Mr. Rebound" does justice with a souped-up reggae beat Jimmy Buffet
would be proud of. In the end, Racket Of Three feels like an undiscovered classic in
the basement bin of your local record store. Dust it off and give it a whirl.
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©
The Cutting Edge Magazine
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