The Mommyheads - Age of Isolation (Name Your Price)

 

The Mommyheads are no strangers to readers of I Don't Hear A Single. I adore them and I can think of no other band in their fourth decade who consistently release new albums that are probably even better than their heyday. 

This is their third album in three years and every one is jaw dropping. Few do what they do or can be as inventive. Just when you think you've got a song sussed, it just veers off into another direction. Essentially an Indie Guitar Pop band, that goes nowhere near describes them.

Their variety finds them equally compared to XTC, Radiohead and Queen without ever being really like any of them. Maybe for a song, but just the one. This review reveals why I want to finish 2021 reviews before moving on. This album will be in the Top 10 of 2021, it is even fighting for first place.

Take the title track, a song that sums up the last two years perfectly without ramming the message home. The song twists and turns but never loses its mellowness or impact. It is truly wonderful and not even the best song on the album.

Statues (Paintings Poems And Books) reveals that Queen comparison with a very Mercury like vocal. Shift In The Astral Plane goes all Prog without ever losing its melody. Don't Ignore The Air is very Bass Guitar driven, almost Police like in instrumentation.

Out Of The Cave could be Muse, but Twist And Turns is more Radiohead's slower moments on the OK Computer album. Maybe even King Crimson in Elephant Talk suits. Last Silver Dollar is built around a killer riff, but the standout is probably the opener, TV Dinner, outstanding in its arrangement and lyrically adept. But Amnesia Collective runs it a close second.

For all this variety, it is the Pop Rock that is still at the album's heart. The fact that The Mommyheads are still around, releasing inspired albums, is a reason for joy. Age Of Isolation is on Bandcamp at Name Your Price but please don't use that as an excuse to pay nothing. Art deserves Reward.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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