Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
Music is ruled by the law of Six Degrees Of Separation, or what some call the Kevin Bacon formula. It’s the belief that you can make certain things connect at some point somewhere, anywhere you look really, if you look closely enough.
For a quick, random example, here: Say I want to draw a linear connection between Black Sabbath and KISS. Easy, Eric Singer… he’s drummed in both bands, and still does in KISS of course. Anyway, I hope you get the point. Personally, I have found it is true, that the 6 Degrees Law is legit and at play all the time.
This review today is a fine example of it in full swing too as I recently reviewed the latest Owl Stretching release from Jason Bieler (here). Bieler is a guitarist in the band Saigon Kick and has two bandmates there named Chris McLernon and Rick Sanders. That pair are two of the four members, alongside Vince Gilbert and Robert Basauri, that comprise the quartet within Mother Mary.
Mother Mary recently issued a new 5-song EP titled ‘Insecurities Exchange‘, an EP that apparently may have been nearly thirty years in the making. An early incarnation of the band was formed in 1988 and for whatever reason, seems to have been put on hold at some point. I’m going to assume that hiatus was the result of the members pursuing other acts outside of Mother Mary but either way, the band is back and we are all the better off for it.
I say that because the five songs here, four originals, and a cover of Deep Purple’s “Mistreated“, are fantastically, and musically, deep-rooted in the Seventies. Not just in inspiration or influence either as there are times that this music sounds as if it was time-warped here straight from 1974. Yes, it is THAT damned good!
Songs like the highly energized powerhouse “Lightning Queen” or bluesy “Slow It Down” are soulfully rich, smooth tunes that ripple with classic rock ethos. Emotionally riveting vocals with a vast grasp of range, smoldering guitars emitting thrilling riffs, leads, and solos…check and check.
Time machine-provided organs and keyboards, eardrum smashing rhythms, and huge, over-the-top drumming. Yep, you can check those off too because they are here and when it’s all put together, firing on all cylinders so to speak, this music is especially hard to beat.
Speaking of hard-to-beat, the pair of back-to-back tracks, “Northern Lights” and “Heavy On My Mind“, are stellar stand-outs. Each is a melodic, masterfully composed, and expertly executed selection. They simultaneously resonate with the epic elements within their audible qualities while clearly reinforcing the staggering talents these players possess.
Needless to say, color me impressed with Mother Mary‘s magnificent ‘Insecurities Exchange‘ EP and I’m unwavering in my insistence you check it out below. Speaking of colors, if you love the classic eras of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath or Whitesnake then get ready to venerate Mother Mary via this Bandcamp embedded stream or grab it here.
