Over two years ago, I was fascinated with the band called Bird Mancini. Their self-titled album captured my imagination and kept me interested from start to finish. Today their music came knockin’ on my door again. Two years and hundreds of reviews later, I could not remember exactly what they sounded like, but I knew I liked them! Well, it did not take long…after putting on their new disc Year of Change I shook out those cobwebs and reintroduced myself to their great sound. 

There is one problem here; they gave me 14 tracks of eclectic mesmerizing music to sink my teeth into, again, so where do I start? Well, there are four people in this band, two men and two women. Ruby Bird and Billy Carl Mancini share the lead vocal duties while Kevin Mahoney thumps away on the bass (and sings lead vocals on two songs  Oh, Babe  and  You're Not Alone ) and Nancy Delaney provides the rhythm for him to keep in step with on the drums, in between all of that action they both provide steadfast backup vocals. Bird is a multi-instrumentalist on keys, accordion, melodica (and backup vocals), while Mancini plays one mean ass guitar and provides some percussion (and backup vocals). 

Two blues soaked rockers are what caught my ear the most.  Just Wait And See  and  Long Gone Blues.   The spirit of these two songs is what makes them so convincing, and the character of the entire album keeps the ball-rollin’ non-stop throughout the run of this impressive recording. At first when you hear their name, curiosity gets the best of you and you have to check them out, then you hear their music…it’s all she wrote, you are sold, it is the knockout punch floors you. When you hear the hook filled  Someone Like You  or the opening swamp boogie licks from the closing track   The Future’s Begun,  I guarantee you will be coming back for more on a regular basis. This  band is fresh, different, and very progressive, now that is my cup of tea, how about you?

© Keith  "MuzikMan"  Hannaleck
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This record is a great work of art created by a group of gifted and seasoned musicians. It's obvious a lot of work went into this latest release, and the payoff to the listener is huge. What you get is 14 totally original, riff filled, catchy and polished bluesy-rock songs in a variety of tempos, and going through it is quite an amazing ride. Ruby Bird Mancini showcases her talent all over this cd. She's possesses an amazing vocal ability and range that truly are unique. I would have to say her signature song is "Don't you Fall". Billy Carl Mancini is simply an outrageous talent on guitar, that will have you drawing comparisons in your mind to the legends of this instrument througout the record, try the guitar solo in the title song "Year of Change", and you will get the message! Nancy Delaney's firm, crisp drum work rocks this cd along beautifully. Kevin Mahoney's contribution on bass is masterful, weaving perfectly througout each track. These are songs that unfold wonderfully, both the lyrics and the melodies will stay with you. All in all, this band is hitting on all cyclinders in this effort, and I give it the highest rating.
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