The Mommyheads
Age of Isolation
With Age of Isolation, The Mommyheads deliver a gift to the great flood of music that began as “we can’t tour so we might as well create.” Arguably, this phenomenon turned into its own silver lining genre as bands churned out some of the best efforts of their careers, and we are better off for it.
Armed with a rich catalog stretching back to the late ’80s, the band isn’t ready to pack up the analog synth anytime soon. The record begins with “TV Dinner,” an observation on navigating isolation and circumstance, mostly in 3/4 time. As usual, Adam Elk’s voice evokes a Freddie Mercury melancholy folding in just enough theatrics and ELO-style backing vocals to drive the point home.
“Don’t Ignore The Air” mixes an atmospheric, melodic sigh with a set of four spoken-word “poems about air”. There’s a well-placed short guitar riff in the middle of this dreamy exhale that fills just enough to bring back your best Steely Dan memories.
“Statues (Paintings, Poems, and Books)” doesn’t pull any punches, asking the listener to look beyond the knee-jerk reaction as we step up our efforts to cleanse the world of ugly. This song makes me want to have whiskey-soaked pub conversations about our processes and the prognosis.
“Twists and Turns” features the dissonant phrasing that The Mommyheads carry with finesse, while other artists stumble. A video produced prior to the album release captures the mood of the song perfectly. It’s spare, stunning, and begs for more where that came from.
In fact, It’s not hard to imagine a stage production or short film using the relevance of Age of Isolation as inspiration. Long after we aren’t separated by six feet, masks, and TV dinners to hide behind, the keen insights expressed on this album still stand. It gives us reason to reflect and have difficult conversations with ourselves and others, all set to music that is both a salt and salve.
Read the lyric sheet, available with the download, as you listen to the songs in order. The tracks work as singles for radio, but this is a take-home and keeper; the concept record that reminds me why entire albums need to be absorbed in one sitting to truly appreciate.
The Mommyheads: https://www.mommyheads.com/
