MARDO
Mardo (House of Restitution)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Mardo pronounce the early verdict themselves: "It's all been done," says Aron Mardo in "Big Mouth Shotgun." And you get the feeling it has, in the early and mid-70s, but the Mardo brothers--Robert plays drums and guitar--do it much better than most and generate the kind of attitude that this sort of caffeinated hard rock was no good without. Even as you're tisking you're tapping. But hold the phone, because track four is an extremely creative and unexpected reworking of Huey Lewis & The News' "I Want A New Drug" that takes a minute to recognize and no time at all to get into, and I suppose that's the point when Mardo's whole trip ceases to appear silly and dated and their sound surrounds you. That's when you notice they're really rocking hard and the riffs, while not necessarily revolutionary, are all scoring. By the time the Sweet-like "Catch a Thief" rolls around they're in full flight and you're breaking imaginary strings on your air guitar. Fun stuff.

© 2004 - DJ Johnson