Hartford Courant
Mar 16 2006

DEPARTURE
The Mammals
Signature Sounds

The Mammals are in the vanguard of a crop of hip, young bands that blend
traditional bluegrass music with an indie-rock ethos. Yet the quintet's
new album is a bit of, well, a departure. Gone are the foot-stompin'
traditional tunes that have peppered past work, replaced by
folk-flavored covers of Nirvana's "Come As You Are" and Mark Sandman's
"Do Not Go Quietly Unto Your Grave." Although the group retains its
standard instrumentation of fiddle, upright bass and banjo, the Mammals
also bring in electric guitars and organ for a more contemporary, albeit
quieter, sound.

Michael Merenda, the band's main writer, favors sweeter grooves and
subtler lyrics on the melodic opening track "Follow Me to Carthage." The
band's old-timey roots shine through on "Kiss the Break of Day," an
upbeat tune that benefits from Ruth Ungar's appealing vocals and fiddle
work.

Never ones to shy away from politics, Merenda and Ungar share harmonies
on the beautiful "Alone on the Homestead," a song written from the view
of a woman who has lost her family to war. Plucky banjo player Tao
Rodriguez-Seeger ( Pete's grandson), covers the famous South American
protest song "Solo Le Pido a Dios."

Longtime fans needn't worry - the Mammals still embrace a "trad-rad"
credo. The band simply moved the music forward a few welcomed steps.