Review Text
The second volume of an impressive two-part label debut, Mashed Potato Records Vol II is a 12-track compilation featuring a rotating cast of outstanding New Orleans-based songwriters. Recorded over a 40 day stretch, often using combinations of the same highly versatile session players (including members of The Deslondes and Tuba Skinny), there is a distinct energy, aesthetic, and feel permeating the compilation. Jackson and the Janks open Vol II with the raw, timeless, R&B original, "Stumblin'", the centerpiece of which is Jackson Lynch's remarkably commanding vocal performance. In Carver Baronda's haunting "If Nothing Else Comes Along", garage rock and pop hooks meet the spooky side of '50s country, with a crying steel guitar contrasting vocals that deliver a devastating lament with eerie stoicism. The Lostines' "It's Been Wrong", a lyrically dark yet musically upbeat '60s girl-group inspired pop song with wailing back-up vocals, is an excellent example of the kind of timeless songwriting and outstanding vocal performances found throughout the compilation. Recorded with a vintage analog home studio set-up, Vol II is a higher fidelity, fuller-sounding evolution away from the Americana field-recording spirit of Vol I, and likewise the featured artists have evolved to each truly own their artistic voices as songwriters here. From Basement Tapes-influenced folk-rock to lamenting lullabies, original instrumental jazz to droney indie-rock, Mashed Potato Records Vol II captures the evolution of a remarkable group of artists.
