Offering
Artist: Mike Mangione and The Union
Label: Rodzinka Records
URL: www.mikemangione.com 

Times: 10 tracks / 40:18 minutes

Mike Mangione has come a long way since his 2005 debut long-player, There and Back. Where Tenebrae (2007) followed a theme of a "service of darkness," Mangione has solidified his band, The Union, and Offering follows a theme of coming home (and coming out of the darkness). Listening very closely to the recurring focus, I've realized I'm hearing the secular answer to a tie between the old hymns "Amazing Grace" and "Just As I Am."

What's immediately striking about Offering is a production/musical arrangement change from Tenebrae. Perhaps over-used in Mangione's last work, songs often began with acoustic guitar, with other instruments slowly interspersed to build the texture to a full-bodied sound. The author saves this technique for the last two songs, "Endless," and "Wear My Name," where it really counts--for the climax and denouement of the project. The band, The Union, is really tight. More in a second . . . .

What is immediately striking is several sets of lyrics that demand the listener's attention, as Mangione is proving to become even more of an incredibly keen cerebral lyricist. Twists begin with the opening title track, in which the speaker tells his "baby, I'll be coming home . . . so goodbye." This song is a "coming home" theme, as is "At Your Gate," "Born to Build a Home," "Darling Little Sister," "Woman in Gown," and "Wear My Name."

I heartily recommend visiting Mangione's website to read the lyrics of all ten songs on Offering (all of his published lyrics are in links on the page).

If you are intrigued by the lyrics, you will equally enjoy the music. Mike Mangione and The Union will certainly be an excellent band to see in concert, as it is fine-tuned for Offering. The music arrangements fit the lyrics perfectly, and the sequencing of the tracks flow nearly flawlessly throughout the album--nothing seems out of place. Highlights are "Are We Going to Rise" and "You Were Beautiful Once," with hot guitar work from (Mike's brother) Tom Mangione. As "Are We Going to Rise" breaks into its most tense moment, the pace breaks suddenly with a string bass, cello, violin, guitars, and drums (the entire band sounds like a string quartet--it works well!).

Mangione also features two straightforward rock and roll songs--"Darling Little Sister" (in the "come home" theme) and "Somewhere Between," in which the speaker is being pulled in different directions by folks on all sides of him. The lyrics scream of rock and roll, and it's definitely a high mark. These songs are going to be on my portable media player for a very long time to come!

Two ideas came to my mind while listening to Offering before drafting this review. A friend once told me that listening to Phil Ochs made her want to practice her archery (as in bows and arrows!). And some friends and reviewers alike enjoyed Jethro Tull's Aqualung very much but were frustrated that Ian Anderson's songs were too negative. Am I comparing Mike Mangione to Ochs or Anderson? Sure! Mangione's (pun intended) somewhere in between in Offering. I'm waiting for him to turn the corner to focus more on the solution--what really works so well here--as in "Are We Going to Rise?" and "At Your Gate" (there is a definite sense of spirituality here--please read the lyrics), as well as "Somewhere Between," which is a solid statement. The answers are in those tunes. However, the closing track, "Wear My Name," leaves the listener wondering if the speaker did indeed go home.When Mangione closes those gaps, he's got the perfect project. I'll go out on a limb to say we'll hear that one soon. In the meantime, Mike Mangione and The Union have a very fine project in Offering.

Extra points department: Offering is available at all download outlets, as well as in physical form.

Olin Jenkins
February 18, 2011