Mercyland

AMG Review of Mercyland

Alex Henderson
All Music Guide

Cowboy Mouth isn't a band that's easy to pin down. Its members may hail from New Orleans, but nothing on Mercyland takes an overtly New Orleans-sounding approach to ock. The unpredictable band often favors a laid-back, Eagles-ish type of sound, but they cab also be gritty and R&B-minded at times. The thing that ties the variety of songs together is a passion for strong melodies, which you'll hear whether Cowboy Mouth is getting into a laid-back guitar pop groove on "Turn Me On," "Lovers or Friends," and "Only One of Us," or getting funky and R&B-ish on "Drummer Man" and the hyper "Why Ya Wanna Do Me?," both of which recall the days of lue-eyed soul stars like the Spencer Davis Group and Rare Earth. Meanwhile, things get slightly David Bowie-ish on the edgy "Everyone Is Waiting." Cowboy Mouth has a definite asset in producer Michael Barbiero; having worked with the likes of other melody based rockers such as Counting Crows and Blues Traveler, Barbiero was a logical choice for this engaging CD.