Reviewing a CD is not an easy task, and it is just a little tougher when your favorite song by the band was released as a single AFTER the album was completed. Nonetheless, were it not for the single "Threw It All Away", I may have never discovered Mossback to begin with. "Threw It All Away" is a magnificent composition, but Mossback's CD Mishmash, released nearly two years previously, reveals a number of hidden gems as well.

Hailing from Seattle, Mossback is invariably compared to bands from the mid-to-late 90's grunge scene when Seattle was at the apex of rock music. Being that Mossback was formed in 1994 by guitarist Brennan McFeely and vocalist Paul Adams, it's fairly easy to make comparisons to some of the more popular bands from that era, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains.

Jack Endino said in the 1996 documentary Hype! that "Seattle bands were inconsistent live performers, since their primary objective was not to be entertainers, but simply to rock out."

Though I have yet to see Mossback perform live, I can attest to the fact that indeed, this band does in fact, "rock out". But they do a whole lot more.

Let's start with my favorite track, "Nothing Left To Give". It has all the prerequisites for a great grunge song - searing, distorted guitars, angst-filled lyrics and contrasting song dynamics. It wreaks of apathy, which is what grunge should do. Were this song composed by Alice In Chains it would be an instant hit, which unfortunately defines the shameful practices of record labels and commercial radio. "Junkie Town" is another outstanding track with a similar alternative feel.

However, Mossback also involves slower tempos, disparate harmonies, and more complex instrumentation on the songs "Annalisa" and "Cold Wind", both surprisingly strong works despite their somewhat softer sides. "Annalisa" has a haunting chorus that is just catchy enough to stick to you, and "Cold Wind" has a real Collective Soul-meets-James Blunt feel to it.

That being said, Mossback gets back to what makes them so good - pure hard rock - on the songs "Sanity" and "On Your Own".

All in all, Mishmash is a tremendous achievement. It varies just enough to allow the listener to delve deep into the track listings, and pulls the listener back to the bands strengths by spacing their strongest efforts in an appropriate fashion. It is a fresh and consistent listen each time through.

--Michael Canter, www.sonicjive.com
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