CD Review by Rod Ames
Album Title: Sparks Are Going to Fly
Artist: MHB
Reviewers Name: Rod Ames (The Texas Star Tribune www.texasstartribune.com)
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Title of Review: CD Review of MHB’s “Sparks Are Going to Fly”
Review Summary:
Think Chicago, think Blood, Sweat, and Tears, think The Funkadelics, think Bob Marley, think The Spin Doctors, think…you get the picture. Throw these guys in a big vat, stir it up vigorously, pour it out, and wa-la! You will have MHB. They rock, they funk it up, they have a large amount of soul, and they do it all very well.
Review:
In Chicago-land, it’s unlikely you will find someone who is not at least familiar with MHB. It’s probably because this wonderful band from “The Windy City” literally has something to offer just about anyone.
MHB’s debut album, “Sparks Are Going to Fly” begins with “Someone Like You”, wonderfully sung by Matthew Henry Baron (the band’s namesake). His voice at first reminded me of The Clash’s Joe Strummer, but that comparison was only at first glance. This tune is a catchy little reggae-inspired song that will have you grooving no matter who you are or what you like to listen too. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable piece of music and a great way to start this series of twelve original songs, all written by front man, lead singer and guitarist, Matthew Henry Baron.
Track two is “I Better” and continues with the heavy emphasis on reggae but with a little extra “funk” thrown in for good measure. Mr. Baron proves himself to be quite the lyricist here as well with some very upbeat lyrics.
“I’m gonna fly, I’m gonna soar beyond this world many think is a bore/ You see it’s fine; it’s all good, no need to fret the small stuff even though you could/It’s plain to see, what’s been goin’ on/ I got the eyes of the devil, the wits of James Bond/ I better chill; I better ease my mind…quiet the sounds take my sweet ass time”
I really liked this song a lot but was a bit afraid the entire record was going to be reggae at this point. I have to say, personally, I tire of the reggae beat about halfway through an album. For me, reggae is just isn’t what I enjoy listening to for a full-length record. As it turned out, that was not going to be the case at all.
Track three is a very soulful “Get On”. This song is all rhythm and blues and is a great dance tune, guaranteed to get everyone up on the dance floor moving and grooving to the beat. The horn section is spectacular and is comprised of Eric Koppa on tenor and soprano sax, Steve Kelly on Tenor sax, and Johnny Showtime on trombone. They help to take the tune to an exhilarating pace. Jim Croke has a wonderful guitar solo here that really jazzes things up and adds an abundance of flavor to the song.
Track four is “Blanket of Leather” and is the reason for that comparison to The Spin Doctors. It really reminded me of something from their “Pocket Full of Kryptonite” record, and added more versatility to an already extremely versatile record.
Track five is the very funky and sexy “Inside”. The metaphors here leave very little room for doubt as to the nature of the song.
“Oooh she flies high above the moonlight/I can feel her and man does she feel right/Gliding soaring, dipping through my galaxy/Will I melt the bars to her, we’ll just have to wait and see/I’m climbing mountains/Rising up step by step/Running on top of the trees/Cause inside of you , is me”
Could someone please get me a fire extinguisher – this song is hotter than a 3-dollar pistol! Even though it may be the simplest of songs on this record, it takes the record to higher level of maturity through the heavy usage of metaphors. It is eloquently performed by MHB, this time consisting of Mr. Baron on vocals and guitars, James T. Bromley on bass, Daryl Coutts on Hammond B3, Rob van Daal on drums, and Michael Whalen on shakers and tambourine.
Skipping down to track eleven something different happens. “She’s Down” is about as close to a negative view of a relationship as you will find on this record. It’s a cool little roots Rock ‘n Roll tune and is probably my favorite tune on the record. It’s a song about two people not being able to get on the same page.
“Hey I’m up, well I’m up/ She is down/Yeah I’m up, I’m up/She is down/Well I’m going up, I’m up/She is down”
I think we all get the picture here, but what I really loved about this particular tune was the nearly “honky-tonk” style piano played by Daryl Coutts. It made an otherwise simple tune, interesting and took the tune in a much different direction, showing a good bit of flexibility to the band.
MHB is a very tight band that I believe if the quality and level of songwriting is maintained, that they could get very big very fast. Even though comparisons were made to other bands here, by the time I got to the end of the record it became apparent, MHB with Matthew Henry Baron at the helm, has their very own sound and there was little doubt for me as to who they are.
Review by Rod Ames
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