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The latest Mechanics outing is
a mixed bag but ultimately rather listenable and has spent
a number of spins in my car. REWIRED was actually released
in 2004 but just reached the US market sometime last year.
This is also the first Mechanics record since the death of
one of their two singers, Paul Young(Sad Cafe), a few years
back. So right off the bat there will be something missing.
However, a soulful Carrack does a decent job in handling all
of the vocals this time out. Also note that this is credited
to MIKE & THE MECHANICS + PAUL CARRACK, as if that was a selling
point. Perhaps it is, as Paul Carrack is quite popular in
many territories. But to have the singer's name emphasised
when he's already a full time member is somewhat unneccesary.
Perhaps this is just as well, as Mike himself is slightly
subdued or even lost on his own album. What we almost have
here is Paul and the Mechanics. Rutherford's trademark rhythm
guitar and somewhat Pink Floyd-esque solos are in bare minimum.
As he himself would probably admit, he's a songwriter foremost.
But you can't deny that some of his solos were actually pretty
good and cozy even. 'WORD OF MOUTH', 'HOME BY THE SEA', SILENT
RUNNING' and 'ABACAB' come to mind. Not much of that here,
sad to say. These days, M&M is pretty much Rutherford and
Carrack and whoever they employ. The 'band' element had dissipated
some time ago.***
These are the negatives. However,
there's still some catchy and decent pop-rock material to
be found on REWIRED which you'll may hate or ignore on first
listen but will grow on you later. The disc is relatively
short and never wears out its welcome, and in more Genesis-friendly
times this may have been a hit. There are three standout numbers
which beg to be heard at the hair salon, as LIVING YEARS and
ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE did back in the day. Carrack is still
belting out R&B-laced pop with the best of them, and Rutherford-
well I wish there was a little bit more of him that stood
out. He has a talent for diluting himself within the context
of a project. That's not a bad thing, as he can and does do
a lot from behind the scenes that go into the making of the
whole picture, but perhaps a bluesy solo like the one on ABACAB
wouldn't have hurt. The new Mechanics is also a little more
darker and technology-oriented, with a slight techno/beat
feel. Plenty of synthesizers, trip-hop beats and loops and
sequencers throughout make this almost as unMechanics as you
may have heard from these guys. Two tracks are almost instrumentals.
REWIRED is almost progressive in a different direction, and
credit to them for trying something different. Some will probably
prefer that they stick with what they know and leave the modern
stuff to the younger cats, but this isn't too far from their
80's pop sound. Lots of ballads and mid-tempo stuff. For whatever
I found wrong with this record, I found something I liked.
Here's what's here:***
ONE LEFT STANDING:
Mechanical rhythms and overlayered
synths and production bring the Mechanics into the 2000's
and is more intuned to Gwen Steffani or something like that
than Genesis or Mechanics. This sets the vibe for what some
of this album will sound like.***
IF I WERE YOU:
An obvious single and one of the
few moments on REWIRED that hint at Mike's past in his 'other'
band Genesis. Lush keyboards and soulful Carrack vocals which
could have placed this on an earlier Mechanics record.***
PERFECT CHILD:
Smooth pop track with 'world' feel
in the background vocals which almost stands out to be counted
as a single, though something's lacking but I can't figure
it out.***
REWIRED:
A near instrumental which goes even
deeper into a more modern 'techno' sound with its choppy rhythms,
'dub' vocals and computer-y sound effects.***
I DON'T WANT IT ALL:
A ballad with strands of barely
noticable acoustic guitar underneath some modern beats. Nice
smooth one which recalls some of the ballads from CALLING
ALL STATIONS.***
HOW CAN I:
Some piano on this mid-tempo aor
track which relies on Carrack's laid back vocals. Production
or arrangement sounds at odds with the music almost.***
FALLING: A darker cut which has
a little more punch to it which recalls SILENT RUNNING and
some Genesis material. This is one moment where the more modern
techno sound works the best on this album, and one of the
best tracks on the album. Good chorus, nice atmospheric section,
and you feel the Rutherford spirit in the composition more
than in the playing. Fine cut.***
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE:
Another ballad and the shortest
track here. Not really essential, but nothing really unpleasant
either. Has similar choppy guitar intro, R&B drum loop and
laid-back soul vocals from Mr. Carrack. Finally an acoustic
guitar solo though.***
UNDERSCORE:
Another near instrumental which
comes off somewhat like a soundtrack piece for some action
movie or X-Box game. Lots of sound effects and synth & sequencer
layers. Good textures and vibe, though you'd forget you were
listening to Mike & the Mechanics. This must represent the
latent experimental side of Rutherford and company which doesn't
get let out of the box too often. This is surely a far cry
from LIVING YEARS.***
Not a bad album, though plenty
of mised opportunities. But if you're waiting for the Mechanics
to sound more adventurous or Genesis-y, just forget it. Not
bad, however, if you want to hear some decent R&B-laced smooth
pop-rock music. Accept it for what it is, and there jut may
be something there to enjoy.
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