Mojave 3 Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
A longtime fan of Mojave 3 has come to expect certain things from the band's albums -- things like relaxed vocals, wispy ballads, soft textures, and gentle soothing songs. There may have been the occasional uptempo tune with pronounced guitars, but this was the exception to the laid-back rule. Things have changed on Puzzles Like You. Fully nine of the 12 songs clock in at midtempo or above, and some might even be considered rockers! Chiming guitars, tinny organs and vintage synths, double-time drums, briskly shaken tambourines, and almost bawdy-sounding pianos all pop up in one spot or another to give complacent fans a jolt of energy. Songs like "Truck Driving Man," "Just a Boy," "Breaking the Ice," and "Puzzles Like You" sound like the work of a totally different, almost frisky band. Whether fans of the group will be satisfied with the three (admittedly) lovely ballads is a legitimate question; they may find the record too cheery and loose for their liking. Or they may hear the usual sweet vocal harmonies from Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell (who has an increased presence on the album) and feel comforted. They may realize that, regardless of tempo, these are some of the strongest, most involving songs the band has ever recorded. They might come to regard the record as a masterful distillation of all their influences from country-rock to '60s pop to dusty Americana. They may notice that the record sounds like a progression for the group and not a total leap sideways. If they can come to any one of these conclusions, it's likely they will fall in love with Puzzles Like You, since it is one of the best guitar pop records of 2006 or any other recent year. It is always nice when a band keeps churning out perfectly fine records that all sound alike; for a band to create something as fine and accomplished as this so long into its career is almost miraculous. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Who expected a big stylistic turnabout? Probably nobody. Is there a big stylistic turnabout? Of course not. Album number four, Spoon and Rafter, is merely another worthy addition to the discography of Mojave 3, whose Neil Halstead is steadily building a swelling stockpile of charming, bittersweet, easygoing songs that warrant almost all of the comparisons -- to icons of '60s British folk and American country-rock alike -- that have been drawn throughout the years. Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but bassist Rachel Goswell plays her most reduced role to date, chiming in, as always, with invaluable background vocals, yet she contributes no lead turns this time -- not even one. This one irritating issue does contradict the fact that the album feels more like a natural and collaborative effort than the others. Perhaps that feel has something to do with the fact that it was recorded in their new studio, allowing them to work at their own pace. The songs remain simple, yet the interplay between the instruments is more intricate and lively than before, with minor touches -- twinkles of glockenspiel, splashes of Moog, quivers of theremin -- falling with ease into the snug mix. As consistent as the group has been with its sound since its second album, the feather-light debut is beginning to seem more and more like Slowdive's swan song. In fact, there are such minor differences between the records that have followed since that debut that most will only feel the need to hold on to one of them. Still, Spoon and Rafter has no trouble making Ryan Adams seem like more of a farce than he already is, and it's deserving of at least half of the attention given to anything released by Wilco. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Mojave 3 likely grew tired of the words "Mazzy Star" being thrown into the otherwise encouraging reviews of their sparkling, twinkling Ask Me Tomorrow. So, the band keeps the sound but expands the style to incorporate gaping helpings of Dylan, from Blonde on Blonde to Nashville Skyline. Bullseye. Only one song is as amazing and heart-tugging as Ask Me Tomorrow's "Love Songs on the Radio" and "Candle Song": "Give What You Take" actually reconfigures Slowdive's propensity for waves of luscious hooks, led by Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell's still otherworldly, wonderfully brother-and-sister-like (actually they are an ex-couple) harmonies. One can easily take issue with their decision to cut Goswell's spectacular throat out of the lead vocal equation after seven years, but as she remains a force on Halstead's choruses, singing countermelodies at his side, it's hard to quibble too much. The songs tickle by, softly floating timelessly, tirelessly, and the vocals are like a pillow for your head as you listen, enraptured, on the single "Some Kinda Angel," another first-rate piece of unhurried pop, and the more gripping "Keep It All Hid" and the gurgling "Baby's Coming Home." Not so much laconic as measured, the Mojave five perch on the precipice of masterpiece, with subtle keyboards, an absolutely sorrowful lap steel on "Give What You Take," and tasteful brass on two others. The only time the LP stumbles briefly is on the unplugged number, "Yer Feet," and only because Halstead foolishly slurs like Dylan, vaulting over the line of inspiration into cheap imitation. ("Who Do You Love" also borrows a little too heavily in vocal mannerism from the one-time Robert Zimmerman, but gets away with it more, thanks to the lush backing track.) The rest is gold, baby. Out of Tune may well be the least English record made in those isles -- the cover shot of surfers hints that California is the place, but Neil Young's folky California, not the Wilson/Love/Jardine slice -- and, in this case, profits for it. ~ Jack Rabid, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After the spare, delicate power of Slowdive's final album, Pygmalion, with influences like the Durutti Column and Brian Eno readily apparent, it would have made perfect sense for Mojave 3 to continue in that vein. Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell had a much different idea in mind, though, and Ask Me Tomorrow, though even further away from Slowdive's shoegaze beginnings, is just as intoxicatingly intriguing. Arguably it remains the group's high point, flashes of inspiration here and there; as the band grew more straightforwardly authentic and less swathed in an aural cocoon, much of their uniqueness went with them. Here, though, both Goswell and Halstead -- along with drummer Ian McCutcheon (more often than not using brushes), pianist Christopher Andrews, and some guests -- tapped into a drowsy beauty that ran parallel to the burgeoning alt-country movement without completely sounding like it yet. Slowdive's cover of "Some Velvet Morning" is a good reference point -- everything is swathed in echo still, but the emphasis on slide guitar twang and a gently down-home feeling, plus some occasional soft cello, makes the album a hushed masterpiece. Andrews' piano often takes the lead, further emphasizing Mojave 3's own approach, while the Goswell/Halstead vocal combination suggests a cousin to the killer Chris Eckman/Carla Torgeson blend in the Walkabouts. Ask Me Tomorrow starts and ends with its best songs; "Love Songs on the Radio," also the band's debut single, sets the tone perfectly, Goswell's sweet but strong voice and Halstead's guitar in perfect balance. "Mercy," meanwhile, concludes things on a dramatic, powerful note; without completely exploding, it's the most fiery song hands down, with Andrews' steady, doom-laden piano and the ever more strung-out guitar the bed for an at once soothing and warning vocal duet, Goswell and Halstead closing the album with a final a cappella singing sigh. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
