CD/Concert Review: Canadian Moms Rock
March 10, 2009 by Andy Vogel
Mother Mother is one of those bands that you have to read into before you can dive right into.
For starters, they're from Canada, which has been churning out indie musicians for the past couple of years. Mother Mother has a very odd range of genres. Their music goes from country riffs to dop-wop vocals.
On their new disc, O My Heart, the band explores a more serious dark side. The fun, odd lyrics are still in place but as lead singer Ryan Guldemond says, “I think there is still playfulness; I think it is just a little more hidden.”
Take the track Body for instance. It is a very odd song about taking body parts off a “lonely and cumbersome body.” It could be talking about Body Dismorphic Disorder or it could just simply be about a unwanted body.
cause I've grown tired of this body.
A cumbersome and heavy body.
I've grown tired of this body.
Fall apart without me, body.
Oohhh...
Take my eyes, take them aside.
Take my face, and desecrate.
Arms and legs get in the way.
Body... something...
While Mother Mother may have some thoughts on their bodies, they do know to how rock the stage. Recently, they rocked the show at Skully’s Music Dinner. Having their band arsenal equipped with saxophones, clarinets, keyboards, a drummer, an acoustic guitar and two singing female keyboardist, it was obvious that this was a very tasteful mixture of genres.
To be fair, the band is lead singer Guldemond, alongside his keyboardist/back up vocals and sister, Molly. It doesn’t end there, either. Bassist/saxophonist/clarinetist Jeremy Page steals the show during any instrumental solo. Second female vocalist and keyboardist Jasmin Parkin hits the high notes. Finally, Ali Siadat handles drums.
It's hard to say what feeling you get when watching the band perform. Some of the songs you just kind of want to laugh at. Yet, it's hard to, because Ryan and the back-ups can actually sing while holding on to their energy.
A track off their previous album called “Verbatim,” is about heterosexual man feeling conformable with cross-dressing.
“For me the message is less goofy then it may appear," says Guldemond. "It's kind of about you know Misogyny in that alpha male syndrome that plagues a lot of the communication lines between men… and women and men with themselves right? Being able to live in the world to feel good about having a feminine side, but also being able to stand behind your masculinity. It’s a fine balance.”
Maybe there is some deep seeded issues going on or maybe its just creativity bubbling up in his brain. Whatever the matter is, the chemistry works.