Matt Kollar and the Angry Mob, 'She Changes Face' EP

​The Judgement: The sound of Matt Kollar and the Angry Mob takes an eclectic twist on the She Changes Face EP (out March 5). It's chock full of accordions, keyboard, guitars, intertwining harmonies and jaunty rhythms. Building on the organic, folk-driven songs and slightly distorted voices of front man/guitarist Kollar and vocalist Elizabeth Messick, the band hits the ground running with an array of down and dirty blues, airy adult pop and hum-a-long melodies.

The EP's opening title-track features stabs of poppy piano and an energetic burst of ragtime-meets-folk pop. Matching Kollar's semi-weathered vocals with swells of accordion and meandering trumpet, it's an infectiously fun start to a record that keeps the happy vibes going on other tracks like “Driftin' Blues.”

]

But even though their slices of layered, rip roaring folk are nice, they don't quite beat the band's slower songs. Ambling tracks like “Gotta Get Blue” and the stripped-down, heart-felt sentiments of “Carry the Light” show off the band's mature versatility, courtesy of drummer Nick Mendoza, bassist Evan Phelan and accordion player Ryan Macleod, even if they're not necessarily playing all over the tracks. It's not every day that a band's calmer tunes manage to outshine the bolder ones. But then again, what else would you expect from a band that call themselves an Angry Mob, right?

Download These:She Changes Face, To the Night!, Carry Light

Grade: B

One Reply to “Matt Kollar and the Angry Mob, 'She Changes Face' EP”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *