And You Were a Crow: Album Review
A Peek at Jersey Rock Band The Parlor Mob's Debut
The Parlor Mob is an experimental rock band from Red Bank, New Jersey. After releasing a promising EP in 2006, they brought forth their energetic debut album this March.
The Parlor Mob burst onto the rock scene in 2006 with an attitude reminiscent of 60s rock n’ roll and a free self-titled EP. Originally known as What About Frank?, the New Jersey rock quintet has won the hearts of local rock addicts since 2004 and only recently has broken through to the mainstream by signing on with rock giants Roadrunner Records. Their debut album, And You Were a Crow, was released digitally in March. It displays a more refined style than their EP, but with all the talent, promise, and energy that the band is known for.
Sticking True
From the beginning of the album, The Parlor Mob lets listeners know what to expect. The opening track, “Hard Times”, opens with a quick drum fill by Sam Bey that gets backed up by explosive guitar riffs by Dave Rosen and Paul Ritchie and Mark Melicia’s shrieking vocals. This sums up a large portion of the album which is dedicated to honoring previous rock legends such as Led Zeppelin with driving rhythms, lengthy guitar solos, and a coarse singing voice.
This call for a rock n’ roll revolution is made a great deal easier by the two incredible guitarists Rosen and Ritchie. These two play well together; they often share solos and play around with melodies. This style makes for an experimental rock sound that is reminiscent of their self-titled EP and their self-released What About Frank? By establishing a decisive and innovative style of rock n’ roll, the band is sure to win both fans of classic rock and fans of experimental or progressive rock.
Making New
As was previously stated, The Parlor Mob does take liberty with a number of rock conventions. Their progressive rock influences lead them to create songs like “Real Hard Headed” and “Bullet,” which jump between time signatures and melodies almost as fast as the guitars can shred. Their experimental style allows for the bass-heavy eight-minute-long “Tide of Tears” to succeed; the song is an interesting fusion of rock ballad and blues, although it is admittedly a task to listen to.
Blues rock also rears its beautiful head in songs like the breathtaking “Everything You’re Breathing For” and the slightly hokey closer “Can’t Keep No Good Boy Down”. This blues influence allows listeners to catch their breath for awhile while still enjoying the powerful rock The Parlor Mob brings forth. The band’s musical spectrum is most prominent in the ending “Can’t Keep No Good Boy Down”, where the only instruments are foot stomps, voices, country-style guitar, tambourine, and piano. This off-beat closer shows the band’s playful charisma and showcases their diverse influences at the same time.
At the end of the album, there are no real problems other than aesthetics. Some of the songs drag slightly, such as “When I Was an Orphan”, and some of them just don’t connect, like “My Favorite Heart to Break”. The minor problems in the album are slightly accentuated by the lack of a distinct bass line (except on “Tide of Tears”), although this is also never a real problem. Despite its minor flaws, the album displays all of the boyish charm and energy that they promised on their EP, hones it, and drives The Parlor Mob’s rock revolution home.
The Bottom Line
9.5/10—A sure contender for album of the year, The Parlor Mob’s And You Were a Crow is a testament to what rock n’ roll was and a monument to what rock n’ roll can still be. Based on this album, if anyone can bring on a rock revolution, it’s going to be The Parlor Mob.
And You Were a Crow was released digitally by Roadrunner Records on March 11. Its physical release is slated for May 6.
