The Mavericks: Living Up To Their Name By Going Mono

The Mavericks – Mono (The Valory Music Group) Always quick to define country music on its own terms, The Mavericks have put a unique twist on the genre ever since busting out of Florida in the late ‘80s. Apparently, this independent mindset continues to reverberate as the neotraditional country quartet put a twist on its second album since reuniting in 2011 by recording these dozen songs in mono (hence the title). With frontman Raul Malo possessing the kind of range that can have him going from a Sinatra-flavored croon to an Orbison-flavored warble while easily moving from pop and soul to salsa, the stylistic card shuffling gets going right out of the gate. Opening cut “All Night Long” kicks the proceedings off with a blaring horn and samba cadence punctuating Malo’s pleading “As long as we have tonight/For this I would sacrifice/Everything that I own/And all that I’ve ever known.” From here, the Mavericks mix it up with ska-kissed flair (the punchy “Summertime [When I’m With You]”), bittersweet melancholy (a squeezebox-kissed “Let It Rain [On Me]”) and a snappy honky-tonk shuffle (the bouncy “Out the Door”). A true bona fide romantic, Malo isn’t afraid to admit he’s lost without his true love amid the harmonies and subtle echo of the Los Lonely Boys-like “What Am I Supposed to Do,” rue the emptiness of one-night stands on the forlorn country-soul of “Pardon Me” or solemnly lays his heart bare with nothing more than the accompaniment of a lonely squeezebox and a muted horn. The Mavericks tie it all up nicely with a bright and boisterous reading of Tex-Mex hero Doug Sahm’s “Nitty Gritty” complete with a hefty dose of Farfisa organ. More Los Lobos than Luke Bryan, the infusion of Tejano and Cuban influences continue Malo and company’s penchant for putting a twist on mainstream country music.