It is indeed a brand new day when The Mavericks release new music. The run-up to the release of Brand New Day included the release a few tunes to appease the fan-base, while ensuring that they didn’t give away the store as to what was to come.
Brand New Day is exactly what fans (old and new) ordered, as The Mavericks created a 10-track production that speaks to different feelings and different situations. Described as genre-bending, the band achieves such distinction on this album, while staying true to the Rockabily-Latin-Country-Americana sound that has solidified them as one of the most popular live acts in the country.
Raul Malo is ever the voice-master on every track, providing a strong voice that can go from tenor to baritone without much effort. Such is evident on the show-starter, Rolling Along, a tune about tough lives being cured by something medicinal. “What’s gonna happen is still gonna happen the one thing that you can count on, don’t fix what ain’t broken while Willie’s still smokin’, we’ll just keep rolling along.” The acordeon, banjo and fiddle make this countrified rancherita one that can easily be sung to around a campfire.
Brand New Day, which has already been getting played on various online services, is quite the love song. Just what is being loved is left up to you. A significant other or a country to which you emigrated or were born in that is in distress (because of some cheeto-lookin’ character, maybe?), the powerful lyrics make it known that whatever it is, it is worth fighting for it. “It’s more than a game I don’t want to lose, there’ll never be another like you.” Powerful.
Following is Easy As It Seems, a rockin’ tune which has a similar feeling to the title track. With it’s descriptive lyrics, such as, “Take a look around you, it’s easy not to see, building walls between us doesn’t fix a thing, ignorance is blinding, they tell you that it’s bliss, they’ve been saying that for ages so will you answer this: Do you want to get mean? Do you want to get cruel? Do you think it’s wise to be made the fool?”
What is currently my favorite tune is I Think of You. It has the all the ingredients–amazing musical elements (organ, acordeon, guitar, horns) and Raul Malo’s impeccable vocals. “I see your face lying beside me, and then the trace of your kiss on my lips always reminds me: Walks on the blvd, two lovers arm in arm lost in each others’ charms I think of you.” Max Abrams sax-abilities are, as always, noticeable throughout. But as the song heads toward the finish, it is Malo’s uplifting vocal that just brings it home.
Goodnight Waltz brings musical memories of historic waltzes of the past, while offering an uplifting feeling of the kind of love that is to come. The background vocalists sweeten the delivery, along with a beautiful sax solo.
The Latin-tinged rock tune, Damned (If You Do) basically describes life, and even love. “Your heart tells you yes, your mind tells you no, you can’t seem to find, which way you want to go, the moment before you let yourself go, you’ll laugh just to think you’ll do it even though…you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”
I Will Be Yours is an Elvis-esque romantic tango with a horn-heavy background that will keep folks swaying. “If you surrender to love so tender, until forever, I will be yours.” Fortunately, it takes a Malo-type to deliver it. The mariachi-esque trumpets really give the tune the Latinoness it needed to make it quite special. Ride With Me is a bluesy traveling tune that takes you cross-country, while Malo once again proves his chops are unmatched.
The story behind I Wish You Well is one that grabbed me having lost a loved one recently. Written by Malo for his father as he was drifting to his end, the song describes the only thing a son who has done everything for his father can say: “Now you lie before me like a star that fell, oh, I wish you well.” Yes, it’s a tear-jerker, especially if you have, or are about to, lose someone.
The Mavericks picked quite an anthemic end to the album with the country-heavy tune, For The Ages. An ode to long-lasting love, the tune is given some power with some choir-heavy background vocals.
The Mavericks brought out the usual elements to record these tunes live in the Studio, with the help of producer Niko Bolas. They added other instruments to sweeten the music and even give it that extra power to keep the listener wanting more. What is even more evident is the freedom to be creative which comes with releasing an album on their own Mono Mundo Recordings. Although their comeback albums also had that feeling, Brand New Day seems more relaxed and has a fun-filled groove to it.
The Mavericks are: Raul Malo, Paul Deakin, Jerry Dale McFadden, and Eddie Perez, along with the Fantastic Four, which include acordeonista Michael Guerra, and saxmaster Max Abrams.
Add it to your collection and do attend one or two of their shows. I’ll be in New Braunfels for the April 29 show (which includes Los Lonely Boys and The Last Bandoleros), and The Mavericks will be in Houston in early June at HOB Houston.
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