Dazy Head Mazy – Acoustic Cities / 2006 Self / 24 Tracks / http://www.dazyheadmazy.com / Reviewed 29 June 2006

When I review an album, the usual process is that I put on a few tracks and try to conduct a review only hearing perhaps twenty or thirty minutes of music. When I put on the Dazy Head Mazy “Acoustic Cities” disc, I stuck with it the entire time. Keep in mind that the brand of acoustic-led pop-rock runs counter to what I’d rather personally listen to. Saying that, Dazy Head Mazy is one of the best acts in this genre. If anyone is a fan of Blues Traveler, Great Big Sea, or even mid-era Goo Goo Dolls. Each of the songs could conceivably be heard at any frat party, but there is something personal and compelling with a Dazy Head Mazy track that is not present when O.A.R. or Dave Matthews takes to the stage.

“Dragonfly” is one of the strongest tracks on the disc, and this is due to the fact that Dazy Head Mazy moves beyond the sedate, groovy rhythms of previous discs to incorporate a guitar line that would make even virtuosos like Santana blush. Dazy Head Mazy do not try to broach the armor of the heart by punching at the same point 24 times, but rather conduct a clinic on how to most successfully effect all parts of a listener’s armor. There are fast songs, soulful songs, and everything in-between. Individuals might not be familiar with the act at this point, but if they are fans of any of the acts previously mentioned, they should try to search out this album and stick it in their player.

Individuals may be used to a number of the other pop acts and the way they create albums, with the strongest tracks taking up spaces towards the beginning of the disc. Listeners inculcated into this style may tend to shy away from the second half of the disc, but this is a definite no-no. Some of the best songs on “Acoustic Cities” are stuck towards the end; theree is simply not this second-half slump on the disc. Few bands can fill even one disc with a solid sound throughout, but “Acoustic Cities” shows that Dazy Head Mazy can fill two and still be ready to tackle a live show the same night. This is the sound of pop-rock of the future, and yet it is so enmeshed in the past that individuals will be able to pick this album up and appreciate it just as easily as they can ride a bike, regardless of how long its been since they last rode.

Top Tracks: Dragonfly, Monarch

Rating: 8.5/10

[JMcQ]