Review: The Sexy Accident - Mantoloking
Third Album Makes Big Impact
Betrayed expectations, dashed promises. Mantoloking, the third album from The Sexy Accident due out on August 21, 2009, addresses the noticeable failings of leaders, family, friendship, and love.
The album takes its name from an affluent seaside town in New Jersey. “It also happened to be chosen as namesake for some of the junkiest of junk collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) that precipitated the mortgage and financial crisis; investment bankers dubbed a steaming pile of financial refuse ‘Mantoloking’ to lure unsuspecting investors into a false sense of classist security,” explains Jesse Kates, guitarist and lead singer.
Upcoming Shows
Indie Pop Alliance Presents
The Sexy Accident, Cherry Tree Parade, Uno, Heroes and Villains, The Noise FM
Friday, August 7, 7 PM. $10
recordBar, 1020 Westport Road
sponsored by PresentMagazine.com
The Sexy Accident - Mantoloking CD Release Party
Friday, August 21
Czar Bar, 1531 Grand
Recorded at Black Lodge in Eudora, Kansas by accomplished Seattle-based producer Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Soundgarden, The Wedding Present), the forthcoming album exhibits a darker edge lyrically and musically than its predecessor, Kinda Like Fireworks. While Fireworks pops with catchy hooks and unusual time signatures, Mantoloking bulls ahead with a driving sound full of urgency or alternately pauses to brood with piercing insight.
The band picked up guitarist Chad Toney in May 2008, joining Kates, bassist Pat Padgett (replacing Pat Fent, who moved to Florida), and drummer Daniel Torrence. As a quartet, they rock hard without sacrificing melody or lyricism.
Click here to listen to The Sexy Accident - "I Tried Again"
Lead track “I Tried Again” is about being drawn to a person with an addictive personality that needs an audience for attention. You know the type – someone that’s attractive because of outrageous behavior but remains elusive as a love interest. The craziness becomes disturbing when it’s time for accountability. The lyrics play tug-of-war between the poles of letting go and sitting tight. The adrenaline of self-induced drama for entertainment and the lull of boredom become a vicious cycle.
“I Just Need My Car” is an all-out dismissal, a parting of the ways with no tolerance for bullshit even if love leaves a residue. The band plays with a laser focus. A ringing guitar works next to firecracker drums as Kates sings with exasperation. A round of handclaps breaks the pace for a moment until the band drives the song home.
A wildcat guitar yowls and snarls with a psychedelic bite to open “Buy Me Out.” Padgett’s bass line creates tension as crunchy guitar riffs clear a path.
The songwriting also shows a sense of humor with “I’m Just Trying to Help (Me Like You). Some women might recognize the jerk in this song full of dictates about how to look, eat, and act. Kates says, “It’s written from the point of view of the douchiest of ex-boyfriends. One of his parting suggestions is that his girlfriend consider a spray-on tan.”
“Failing to Play Nice” examines the emotional perspective of a boy dealing the departure of his father, the breakup of a marriage, and the succession of men that follow into his mother’s life. The words in the final stanza hint at the strength of the writing:
and then came the succession
of more unwanted men
and I made it my task
to tear away their masks
‘cuz the way they’d dupe my mom
with money and aplomb
Kates shows a sensitivity not often seen among male lead vocalists in town. He proffers raw lyrics and bitter memories with aching honesty. It’s the plaintive hurt in his singing that makes it feel so pure.
By the time “A Merry Christmas To You” rolls around, there’s no doubt that The Sexy Accident have reached higher, worked harder, and dreamed bigger than they have previously. Seven songs into Mantoloking, the quality of the song craft still doesn’t relent. “Merry Christmas” drops into the middle of a surprised lover’s betrayal. The brisk guitar work inserts an element of suspense into a moment fraught with tension. The backing female vocal of Michelle Plaitis, a friend of producer Steve Fisk’s from Seattle, trading lines with Kates adds another chilling layer to the coldness of the situation. Plaitis also contributes backing vocals on the final track, “Won’t You Be Mine.”
“The Chatty Bandit” is a more upbeat number that could have been a hidden track from the previous album. Nonetheless, it fits nicely here as an enthusiastic pop song that rocks with jubilation.
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