RED TANDY EP
Album Review
by Peter Funk

It seems like California's meeting of rock and soul has made a come back of late. Bands like The Orange Peels, Court & Spark, and Beechwood Sparks to name a few have been channeling the harmonic meeting of voice and electric guitar that the Beach Boys, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills and Nash, made so ubiquitous. The Mother Hips have always worn their classic rock influences on their sleeves, which may explain why they've been more readily embraced by baby boomers than the end of the alphabet generations. On the Red Tandy EP the band doesn't stray far from the formula laid out on 2001's Green Hills of Earth and 1996's Shootout. The band has an uncanny knack for harmony and the ability to find a groove and lock it down. Sounding like an excellent Crazy Horse copycat tempered by the more meandering jam rock of The Grateful Dead the Red Tandy EP leaves little doubt that The Mother Hips, despite a four-year hiatus, are still very much able to channel the sound of another era through tight vocal harmonies and close knit arrangements. The EP is only four songs with the lead number "Red Tandy" repeating at the end in alternate take form. It's just a small reminder of what The Mother Hips do so well, but upon hearing the first chords of "Red Tandy" slide effortlessly into the band's four part harmonies it's easy to remember why the band has such a devoted following.