Music Red Jacket Mine — February 19, 2013 11:38 — 2 Comments
Red Jacket Mine
Want to be in a good mood? Just listen to this song: “Ron Nastyâ€. It is one of the 11 tracks on Red jacket Mine’s new LP, Someone Else’s Cake. The song’s humor will have you swaying and smiling. “He’s a particular brand of aloof,†the playful lyrics begin, “with a tenuous grasp of the truth. And he don’t like you!â€
The music of Red Jacket Mine is clear and crisp. Full with electric guitars, tight drumming and charmingly proficient keys. It was a joy to stumble upon their new album on a sunny Seattle day in early February. I put it on as I stood in the doorway of my apartment, watching a small woman steer a large bus north. I listened as I realized a light fixture on my ceiling is either broken or needs more duct tape. And, while listening, I didn’t mind that predicament.
The band, which partnered with Seattle’s Fin Records for three single releases in 2012, including their digital release “Amyâ€, is comprised of lead singer and guitar player Lincoln Barr, bassist Matthew Cunningham and drummer Andrew Salzman. But the trio does not hesitate to incorporate horns, handclaps, silky guitar leads and other components to fill the space they created with more music. Think: Brendan Benson meets the Kinks.
In “Engineerâ€, Barr sings, “You got a face like a magnet and you’re swingin’ from the chandelier. I strut like a rooster and my baby calls me Chanticleer,†Deep saxophones and a sweating guitar accompany the lyrics and a specific type of focus befalls you: you’re into it, tried and true.
The album’s ultimate track, “Bellar & Bawlâ€, leaves its listener with a reminder of what’s best about the album. You’re tapping your feet, or you’re shimmying your shoulders, or you’re ears are locked on the strum of the acoustic guitar beneath the fat drums, bright keys and joyous vocals. “You can beller and bawl, but it won’t add up to nothin’ but one more pain in the ass. You can beller and bawl, but it won’t make any difference you learned that lesson from the last!â€
Someone Else’s Cake will be out Feb. 19. You can find more about the band at http://redjacketmine.net. They play next Feb. 22 at The High Dive in Fremont for the record’s release.
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