MANGOO
Neverland
Mangoo from Turku, Finland are a recent
signing to Small Stone and this is their second album of scuzzy stoner rock, containing
a variety of arrangements and instrumentation that aren’t generally found in
your usual low-slung fuzzy fare.
The
band certainly have a knack with a riff and chorus, veering towards pop at some
points with their memorable hook-laden songwriting. They employ an enjoyably
squelchy synth throughout and have a sometimes experimental bent – utilised particularly
nicely on banjo-blues number ‘Home’. Sadly this experimentation can also see
them come a cropper – such as in the violin-laden ‘Deathmint’ which reeks of
bad euro metal or the odd harmonies of ‘Diamond in the Rough’ which feel like
they were parachuted in from a ’90s indie track.
There’s
enough big choruses and cool riffage on tracks like ‘Neverland’ and ‘You,
Robot’ to make this a worthwhile listen but it’s a slightly patchy album
overall, with at least one slow moody number too many. The experimentation is
intriguing though doesn’t produce consistently good results throughout. Hopefully the band will keep moving in this
vein however and be able to marry their excellent songwriting to truly interesting
arrangements and create an album to cherish.
Austin
Matthews
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