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Fusing chamber pop with gypsy folk and acoustic rock, the quintet
of Mainly Lanes sounds completely unconventional and yet melodically
astute. The band's new CD Oomami shows swigs of avant-pop reminiscent
of Rasputina in their track "Nails", blended with
Americana rock hues reflective of Shelby Lynne in their number
"Dead Body", and sprinting gypsy-flanged riffs akin to Shout
Out Louds in "Preteen Fashions." Comprised of guitarist Alexander Lane, cellist Sharon Kalbacher,
bassist Zoe Lane, drummer David Lane, and vocalist Toni
Zaman, Mainly Lanes covers a wide stretch of folk music from rootsy
stamped hooks to tribal textured rhythms and smoky blues-rock rustles.
The album is a goulash of musical influences that somehow congeal
to make for a broth of melodically groomed tunes ribbed in uncharacteristically
complementing patterns.
The soft country overtones of "Move On" are lassoed in
towering cello wails which transform into rows of orchestral-pitched
tassels along "Denteen Ice" brushed by rippling drum strokes.
The somber sound of the guitar chords in "Cave Dweller"
have a tooling of sonnet-inspired cello slides, and the pivoting rhythmic
grooves of "Global Warming" are grazed in cascades of shimmery
guitar riffs. Everyone in the band has a chance to be in the forefront like Zaman's
vocals in "My Hero" which has a folksy-bent relatable to
The Corrs, and the burgundy toned reverberation of Alexander
Lanes' guitar in "So Sad" which pervades a misty western-soul
tone. The Spanish flavored beading on "Monks And Crossbones"
has an undertow of ghostly vocal chants, and the springy tempo of
"The Ventilator Song" is garnished in country folk trimmings.
Oomami is a listening album that should not be underestimated.
The band's sound is original and melodically configured. They harmonize
all four of earth's elements; coordinating the fluid motions of water
with the alleviated mists of air, the sparkling cinders of fire, and
the fleshy tones of earth to make for sonic equations that are quite
appealing.
-Susan Frances
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