Veteran singer/songwriter Maurice Mattei and his band The Tempers celebrate the release of their new CD, Mauled, this Saturday at The Redmoor in Mt. Lookout. The show will feature an opening set by local Surf Rock band Don’t Fear the Reverb.
The cleverly-titled Mauled is the full-band version of Mattei’s acoustic project, Kenwood Towne Center, which featured songs named after stores located in the area mall (this new version includes three songs not on the original project). The production and arrangements of the songs are fantastic, giving the album a real diversity, moving from stirring piano balladry (“White House/Black Market”) to newer-Dylan Roots Rock (“Chico’s”) to Euro street Folk (“Aeropostale”) to hooky, vintage-styled Pop Rock (“Let’s Go Straight,” “Crabtree & Evelyn”). Even the less “filled out,” more minimal tracks are laced with majestic additives like lush strings, piano tinkles and Howell’s tasty harmonica licks.
As usual with Mattei, the songwriting is top-notch, deep and poetic and full of concise, erudite character studies and stories. But with The Tempers’ assistance, Mattei’s delivery has become more animated and varied. Read more here.
