Mambo Sons “Heavy Days” - CD Review

It’s hard to listen to “Heavy Days” – the fourth album from Mambo Sons - without wondering how I missed the other three. Maybe it’s because I can’t remember the last time I heard engaging new music - that also qualified as straight-ahead rock and roll* - on the radio. I discovered Mambo Sons the same way my kids find most of their new tunes – word of mouth and “social media.”

Tom Guerra (guitars and vocals), Scott Lawson (vocals and bass) and Joe Lemieux (drums and vocals) have delivered the type of rock record you wish some of the legendary classic rock bands would put out. Track after track, Mambo Sons prove that a great rock tune – or artist – often comes from familiar territory while being totally original and maintaining an individual identity.

I’m tempted to play the “sounds like” game here to provide a reference point relating to the name-brand bands but that narrows the field too much. It’s just refreshing to hear rock that’s “built right” — solid craftsmanship, structure and melody (without sounding slick) – that maintains real energy throughout the entire two-disc package.  Yes, two discs.  The novel thing here isn’t the fact that you get a double dose of tunes …it’s that you can actually listen all the way through.  Truly a double-album - not a couple potential singles with a bunch of filler.

If they existed “back in the day” - I could imagine Mambo Sons building a tremendous following at major rock clubs, getting discovered by a major label and becoming a staple on FM Rock Radio. By now we’d be out buying Mambo Sons CD’s all over again - this time “digitally remastered.

“Heavy Days” could have been a nostalgia trip. Instead, Mambo Sons have shown us a natural progression – their take on the evolution of  Album Rock. That said, it’s kind of ironic that I first heard about Mambo Sons from Connecticut FM Rock Radio icon Barry Grant — and he nudged me to be sure and listen via Facebook.

Learn more about Mambo Sons and have listen for yourself:  http://mambosons.com/

* Well, not counting Chickenfoot - but, they’re a “supergroup.”