When I heard that these guys were good friends with Jawbone Hill, I knew I'd like them. When I heard they regularly opened for bands like Pedro the Lion, Velour 100, and Joe Christmas, I knew many others would like them as well (maybe you caught them on the New Band Stage at Cornerstone?).
Mack, the Coffee Man serves up their own special-brewed indie-rock/emo espresso, sure to perk up those drifting to sleep from today's music. Although less of a priority now than in the past, the band specializes in tricky, attention-getting drumming and intricate bass/guitar work. Like Jawbone Hill, there are many beautiful lead guitar melodies accenting the emotive vocals. One criticism of the emo scene is that often the vocals sound overly similar, but Mack, the Coffee Man manages to combine the familiar higher pitch, nasal, pain-filled pattern with just enough of their own style to stand apart. On the flip side, by the end of the album even these vocals get tiresome in an emotionally-draining sort of way.
This is the perfect band to mix moods with live on a Friday night, sipping a warm beverage with your girl or guy in a dark, cozy coffee shop. There are only eight songs on this fifty minute long album, which means there are a lot of instrumental interludes between lyrics to enhance the overall effect. For example, the last song, a delayed (only for a few seconds) hidden track, is about ten minutes in length--not for lovers of musical immediacy.
The songs are introspective recollections and journal musings, obviously personal and emotional for the writer. "October's Anthem" meditates on what can be learned from the good and bad of life together, "Dragnet" is a steamy love song, and "Superpowers in the Four Corners" acknowledges the deep influence of three men on the writer and how hard and sad it is that they all live apart now ("I've never loved my brothers this much").
Mack, the Coffee Man is yet another of those bands that warms the insides of a true music fan. Just when you're really down about all the junk music out there, a band like this comes along and reminds you why you still love those curious sounds put together with words. Fans of Pedro the Lion, Jawbone Hill, Sunny Day Real Estate, Damien Jurado, Joe Christmas, Hayden, etc. can add this band to their list of favorites. You'll smile, cry, and thoughtfully nod your head as you listen along.
By Josh Spencer (8/16/98)
This trio, composed of a guitar, a bass and percussion, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has a sound all their own. The first 30 seconds of this album introduces a wonderful musical theme that pops up a couple times later on the disc, as a respite to the more vigorous parts of some songs.
Every Blessing Tonight features the captivating sounds of lead singer Jeff Royer's cries and the echoing sounds of Keith Wilson's guitar. This combination is especially effective in the second song of album, "Florida." Also appealing are the musical transitions in mid-song: the band makes these alterations without causing havoc to the tunes or jarring the listener.
One improvement Mack and the boys could make on their next album is to bring the vocals to the front more on the mix. At times it difficult to hear what is being sung (or said, as in case of "Dragnet," when one of guys recites a nice, Song of Solomon style lovenote), when the bass guitar overruns the vocals.
Overall this is a fine first project. The heartfelt vocals, instruments playing off each other and an engaging high end guitar sound are a fine launching pad for this independent band. And that first 30 seconds, with the recurring theme throughout, is a nice touch.
Sam Hagedorn (9/6/98)
