Oh man, I wish every song off of this album by Mini Mansions was more like “Works Every Time.” A lot more singing by Michael Shuman, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. Let’s start breaking down Guy Walk Into a Bar…
I mean sort of like I just mentioned, “Works Every Time” is a genius song that is both beautiful and catchy. Tyler’s vocals?! Zach’s bass line?! Perfection. In my mind, it’s hard for that song to be topped by them off this record, and that holds true after two listens through. With that being said, there are definitely some other catchy songs that caught my ear. Perhaps “Gummie Bear” should be listed first, because whenever I think of this album, I’m always brought back to this song. It’s not my favorite, as we’ve just established, but the harmonies and falsettos really make it stand out.
Other songs off the record that are catchy include “Bad Things (That Make You Feel Good),” “Forgot Your Name,” and “Living in the Future.” For the future being reference in one of those song titles, all three of these tracks have a very 80s sound to them, which can make them danceable, fun, and punchy. I love the playful vocals that go back and forth off of “Forgot Your Name.” Another song that really stood out to me was “Don’t Even Know You,” which sounds like it belongs on a Foxy Shazam tour. I don’t know if I could pay a higher compliment.
Aside from those songs catching my ear, the rest of the album was not bad, but perhaps a bit forgettable. For a song called “Should Be Dancing,” it did not put me in a dancing mood. With that being said, I felt like it transported me to the past a little bit and it very much felt like a love song. While I didn’t love “Hey Lover,” I can’t deny how great Alison Mosshart’s vocals sounded. I mean, she’s a dead ringer for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes’ Jade Castrinos. They are singing twins! The rest of the tracks off of this album were alright, but sadly closing track “Tears in Her Eyes” was not that great and fairly boring. Although, knowing that this album follows a relationship from the beginning to the end, it’s not that surprising that it ends on such a somber note. Just not my cup of tea.
I knew that The Great Pretenders was going to be a hard album to top as soon as I listened to it, and even though there was a good chunk of time between records, Mini Mansions just didn’t quite manage to recapture the magic in Guy Walks Into a Bar… With that being said, “Works Every Time” might be the greatest song the band has (for now). Now that I’m through their discography, I look forward to new music in the future and hopefully the chance to see them live someday.