Search - Mammals :: Departure

The Mammals new album Departure is just that; a work that shows the band moving towards a completely unique sound. The rocking energy of fiddles and banjos has been augmented with electric guitar, keyboards and a heavy rhythm section. The songs are political. When you see a wildly successful young band building a huge and devoted following all over the world, the last thing you might expect is a departure. But that?s exactly what the Mammals have brought with their latest album, aptly titled Departure, on Signature Sounds. Unlike their live shows and past Mammals albums, there is no traditional music on this album. There aren?t really any foot-stompers. And the politics, while still present in many of the songs, are more subtle, lurking powerfully below the surface. While you can still catch the band?s folky roots showing through in parts, the new album features noticeably more rock moments. "Departure could easily get put in the rock section of a record store, yet the instrumentation of the band hasn?t changed much," says Tao Rodriguez-Seeger. "We added some organ sounds and a few electric guitar overdubs, but for the most part, it?s fiddle, banjo, guitar, upright bass, drums and lots of singing. I?m most happy with the way it just sounds like a damn good band at the peak of their creative process." The Woodstock, NY-based Mammals, who formed in 2001, refuse to stand still musically. That they have thrived in the midst of a widespread old-time, neo-traditional movement indicates the open-mindedness of that community. The Mammals, a mainstay at major music festivals, are renowned for their unpredictable live shows and high-energy festival sets, and along the way, they have also built a reputation for being master interpreters of great songwriting. The Mammals? own songs hit new heights on this album.