Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
That voodoo that they do so well really does set the feet tapping beyond the expectation of what the ears demand when asking to be stimulated and encouraged to try something new.
It is in the art of the story teller that such songs come bouncing out of the cage like a pent up fighter seeking to land the first punch but to whom the necessity of doing so causes grief, much better that the tussle between mind and ear be mutual and one of understanding and it is to this that the four track self titled E.P. by Mama Roux really gives its life and respect too.
A contradiction in terms is too suggest that something new cannot flourish alongside the conventional, that a revolution, no matter how small, cannot take place without harming or decrying anything that went before it. Although music and art is arguably the most purist of Human expressions and endeavours, it should not be seen that we treat art as human, they are above such pity and to suggest that the old and new cannot live side by side is too liken it other areas of human existence.
The story of the song reflects this sense of timeless paradox and in the tracks Fool For You, Never Been More Alone and You’ve Got To Live, Mama Roux really turn on the charm and grace, they galvanise the spirit of appreciation and lead the listener down a track that seems familiar but somehow looks different in the dark. It is like finding yourself armed with a shield whilst you navigate the streets of your home town but finding a rural retreat where isolation and reflection can take place suddenly spring from nowhere.
Such is the generous nature of three tracks that even the more chilling nature of The Storm cannot fully dissipate the relentless feel of opening your eyes to a new experience and allowing your other senses to fully congratulate the heart on finding a new love. Mama Roux have something in them that is just full of adoring premise, it is a beginning that will not surely end.
Mama Roux is available to purchase now.
Ian D. Hall