Album Review: Mighty Seed

Mighty Seed was released in May 2013 by This Way to the Egress. It is a mesh of gypsy-cabaret, bluesy fun. There was never a dull moment when listening to this album.

Album Art: The album art consisted of photography by Matt Blum (of Lightly Salted Productions) - one shot of the band in the center of the cover insert; the rest, interesting shots of instruments and vegetation, tying in beautifully with the overall tone of the album as well as the title. The cover itself was a very aesthetically pleasing image of an accordion and watering can (seen above).

Tracks*:

Favorite Tracks: My favorite tracks were "Clarence", "M.I.A.", "Cage Bird", "Live Through Your Strings", "Pound Yer Bones", and "6 Count Swing" - though all of the songs were incredible. For the sake of time, I will pick my top three favorites among these.

"Live Through Your Strings" was slower paced, but the violin was powerful, drawing you in to every note. The vocals complemented the unspoken words that the violin seemed to weave into the air around the other instruments. We also hear a bit more from Jacklyn "the" Kidd. Rather than becoming a blend with the other instruments (or being all but drowned out in live performances thanks to whoever set up the sound system), you can pick her out at various points in the song. Her plucky notes seem to dance with the swaying of the violin. This was clearly a brilliant move by Egress for the aptly titled song.

"Pound Yer Bones". What can I say about this? It's a jaunty tune that makes it impossible to sit still. Each instrument seems to have at least a small section to shine. To me, this is what always comes to mind when I think of Egress - lively, singing loudly, and playing their hearts out. It's vibrant, it's colorful, it's just so Egress.

"6 Count Swing" is pretty laid back, but very soulful. The vocals are smooth and rich, tastefully enhanced by the bass (guest feature - Matt Colpitts). This song impressively resounds from deep within the thoracic diaphragm. At 1:42, there's a delightful pick up in tempo that pleasantly contrasts with the first half of the song - but not so much that it's irritating; quite the opposite.

Overall: I was deeply impressed with this album and enjoyed every minute of it. It rarely happens that I have nothing negative to say about the album, but I find myself failing to find anything wrong with it. All the musicians have a chance to shine, each song is different while still holding true to a central theme. I applaud Egress and each featured guest on the album. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them and I can't wait to hear their new drummer.**


*Additional Credits

♰ "Clarence": Andrew Benjamin from Hellblinki (in case you couldn't tell) did the intro. Dave Doll was featured on trumpet. Guest vocals - Mizeria and Matt Colpitts.
♰ "M.I.A.": Shlomi Lavie was featured as a vocalist.
♰ "Pocket Change": Stefan Zenik - featured clarinet.
♰ "6 Count Swing": Matt Colpitts - bass.
♰ "Pound Yer Bones": Guest vocals by Mizeria and Matt Colpitts.
♰ "Lyle's Tale": Vocals and Lap Steel - Ryan Baugess, Vocals - Gloria Davis 

**Via "Saddle" Sarah: 

"Mat had decided to leave the band and pursue other things back [in] May. We wish him the best of luck in all he does. But we have been working with another drummer who I am sure you all will love and plays Mats parts ridiculously well!"

Ninja Fish thinks this is great music to... drink your friends under the table with.
Album Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Listen and buy here!
Like and learn more about Egress here!