-Music News Nashville
As a child, Rich Mahan recalls how the free and easy sounds of Bobby Bare helped to serve as a healing stream of sorts to his father when he would get stressed. For his latest album, the California transplant name-checks Bare for the title, but also that quirky and irreverent style that he personified in his recordings.
Stylistically, Mahan shows his blues influence all over the place. There’s a hard driving sound to the opener, “Math,” and Mahan knocks it out of the ballpark with his sense of humor. It is a downright blast to listen to, and Mahan pulls it off with a heavy dose of charms.
He strikes a soulful tone on the Kid Rock-ish “Favorite Shirt,” which has gotten quite a bit of attention as of late, as he also does on “Money In The Bank.”
Mahan proves himself to be a top-notch singer, as evidenced on the cut “Tequila Y Mota,” but it’s his songwriting that I think is the most appealing aspect of this album. Kudos to him for writing “The Hills of South Dakota,” after all, the state doesn’t get a lot of musical airtime, does it? Maybe the best pair of songs on the album are the totally irreverent and politically incorrect “Mama Found My Bong” and “Rehab’s For Quitters.” The above-mentioned cuts showcase Mahan’s genius as a tunesmith.
Ironically, the song that might have the best chance for airplay is one from the Bare catalog, a late 70s gem titled “Put A Little Lovin’ On Me.” I could see this being really big in the Americana / Texas market. I can’t wait to hear more from Mahan. He’s got the vocal chops, the writing, and the humor to pull them off. Take a listen to this, you’re going to love it!
By Chuck Dauphin
