Have you ever had the thrill of discovering a new band before your friends? Here's your chance. Not many people have heard of Radio Mafia Records, and only a few are familiar with this new label's band The Mustard Seeds. If you are one of the many who doesn't have a clue about any of this, then you are only missing out on one of the most talented acts in either the secular or Christian music scene.
Frank Liva, formerly of Entourage Records, started Radio Mafia Records, and he brought with him The Mustard Seeds. For those who have not read the review of their first release, The Mustard Seeds are George Bernhardt - guitar, Doug Bossi - guitar, Matt Bissonette - bass, Jorge Palacios - drums. Everyone sings, and although the vocal harmonies aren't as prevalent as on their first release, there is still enough there to make one realize just how amazing an instrument the human voice really is. As a band, The Mustard Seeds have taken the last two years to tighten up their instrumentation and write ten new songs for this release (track eleven is an acoustic version of "Quicksand" from their first, self-titled album). If they were crisp before, they are positively crunchy now. The Mustard Seeds have definitely taken their musical talents to that mythical "next level."
On Red, the band has changed style only slightly. There is a little more modern alternative edge and even less of the King's X style of hard rock/metal that several tried to compare them to. It is still on the heavy side of alternative and would compare favorably with the likes of Rose Blossom Punch or Third Day, but there is also the occasional PFR-like (Them era) or Beatlesque tune. The depth of the vocal harmonies also still gives the music an Extreme-like sound, but not to the extent of their first album. The Mustard Seeds have definitely grown in their musical expertise, and their sound is now truly one of their own.
The band's lyrical style has not changed either. Not all the songs are blatantly Christian, but you need to read between the lines before jumping to a conclusion on any particular song. They have a tendency to take what appears on the surface to be a normal radio-friendly song, and add a Christian twist to it that the average person just won't catch. A prime example of this is the chorus of the first track, "Sylvia Beams":
Other lyrical themes include conversion ("Coming up Roses"), seeing Christ in those around us ("Dying"), and evolution versus creation ("Blind"). "Alabama Sings" is a wonderful tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., and "Queen of Misery" is almost a quirky flashback to the song "Life Goes On" on the first album.
This is truly a superb second release by The Mustard Seeds. With availability through many of the normal distribution outlets as well as CDNOW and Rugged Cross, and exposure on MTV and FOX Sports Network, at least now the band will have a better shot at being noticed. The only thing that keeps Red from getting a 5-tock rating is the length. It does have 11 tracks, but clocking in at only 38:19 it is definitely on the short side.
By Mark Aylor (10/4/98)
Radio Mafia Records
P.O. Box 2584
Toluca Lake, CA 91610
Tel: (818) 752-9250
Fax: (818) 752-9284
URL: http://www.radiomafia.com
E-mail: info@radiomafia.com
