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Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Review: Mammoth Life - Enlightenment: A Romantic Gospel Part 3 and 4


Mammoth Life - Enlightenment: A Romantic Gospel Part 3 and 4

2009, Mammoth Life

Mammoth Life is an esoteric Kansas band with a mid-western charm and a sound that's out of this world. Pop convention goes out the window in the face of following their muse, and Mammoth Life creates like the sun flies, straight across the sky with no stop or pause for the mores of the moment. In anticipation of the 2010 release of their next album, An American Movement, Mammoth Life has released a highly limited (250 copies) 7" vinyl 45-rpm EP entitled: Enlightenment: A Romantic Gospel Part 3 and 4. The EP is pressed on transparent blue vinyl and hand numbered, and promises great things from An American Movement.

This two track single displays a continuation of the artistic and sonically aesthetic work undertaken begun on Kaleidoscopic Art Pop, although early indications suggest that Mammoth Life continue to delve deeper and deeper in this collective muse. Disrupting The Extinction Of Distinction (Part 3 – Ego), is a wide-ranging, piano-driven chamber pop experience. There’s an irrepressible pop feel to the song despite its more baroque elements. We Are Within A Holy War (Part 4 – Critical Thinking) indirectly challenges listeners to delve deeper than the sound bytes you hear on the news and consider both the realities and the impacts of events in the world. Listening to these songs you could image that if composer Ralph Vaughan Williams were writing today his material might sound a bit like Mammoth Life.

Mammoth Life continues to impress from deep in left field (beware the corn rows). This is one of those bands that’s just so unique and off the dial that it’s hard to imagine them gaining significant commercial footing, yet there is a distinct pop sensibility that runs through their brand of Art/Chamber/Folk Rock that is irrepressible. If these two songs are any indication, the forthcoming album, An American Movement, should be something exciting to hear. For now, try to get your hands on Enlightenment: A Romantic Gospel Part 3 and 4; it’s very much worth the effort.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mammoth Life at www.myspace.com/officialmammothlife or http://www.mammothlife.net/. Enlightenment: A Romantic Gospel Part 3 and 4 is listed on Mammoth Life’s website but without purchase links. Contact the band directly through their website or MySpace pages for more info.

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