Mommyheads: Age of Isolation

Winning the award for the best Covid-era album title, Age of Isolation, the Mommyheads feature quirky, artsy, and clever indie-pop with hooks galore. The band has a 30 year history, having formed in the late 80’s, with a number of independent releases. In 1997 they were signed to Geffen Records, and then dropped before the album was officially released, so there was no promotion, and the band broke up shortly after. Jump ahead to 2008, and the band reforms and recorded a new album.

The opening “TV Dinner� has an immediately catchy and yet melancholy feel. The chorus brightens things up and is quite playful. Lead vocalist Adam Elk at times sounds like Thom Yorke (Radiohead) with his higher range explorations, and other times he sounds like Perry Farrell. The vocals are interesting as Elk at times seems to veer off course sounding slightly off key, but it does have a certain charm. “Last Silver Dollar� has a chorus that reminds me of Weezer, and “Don’t Ignore The Air� opens with an 80’s King Crimson feel with the bass and drums, and shows a bit more of their experimental side. Every song has a unique flavor, and interesting instrumentation, but at the bands core is a pure pop band, and that is a good thing. The songs quickly become familiar and that’s when you can dig in a bit more and appreciate how well the music and melodies work together. “Statues (Paintings, Poems, and Books)� makes nice use of the Rhodes keyboards, and offers a nice dynamic change when the song kicks in with some of the heaviest guitar to be found on the album. “Out of the Cave� has an almost Floyd like spacey intro, then morphs into another pop gem with some great vocals in the chorus. The simple keyboard line and samba like beat of “Shift in the Astral Plane� are embedded in my brain.

Mommyheads have a vast discography to explore, and for a band that has been together for this long, the music sounds fresh and alive. If you are in the mood for wonderful and intelligent pop music, Age of Isolation� belongs on your must buy list.

Track List:

1. TV Dinner (3:55)
2. Last Silver Dollar (4:25)
3. Don’t Ignore The Air (4:37)
4. Age of Isolation (5:26)
5. Statues (Paintings, Poems, and Books) (4:58)
6. Out of the Cave (5:04)
7. Am I Too Comfortable? (3:28)
8. Shift in the Astral Plane (5:02)
9. Twists and Turns (4:32)
10. Amnesia Collective (4:28)

Added: September 23rd 2021
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 481
Language: english

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