Mothership – II
Release Date: 2014
Label: Ripple Music
When I first heard Mothership’s debut album I remember being on the fence. I couldn’t really decide whether I really liked it or not because something just wasn’t clicking with me. Well, once I saw them live I realized right away that it was just the fact that the bands energy and sonic, spacey vibe just got lost in translation. The album did very little to capture what I was seeing live. When Mothership released their follow “II” this year, I was a bit apprehensive but because I enjoyed them live so fucking much I had to give it a try.
Right off the bat with “Celestrial Prophet” and “Priestess of the Moon” I was totally blown away. The difference between this album and the debut was night and day. It was such a sonic improvement and “II” really captured that essence, that vibe that Mothership projects in a live environment. Just as I was really getting cooking on this album, along comes “Shanghai Surprise.” This song is a real bummer to be honest. I found this song to be juvenile, boring, and something that I would’ve expected to hear on a later era White Wizzard album. Only three songs in and hearing this dud totally made me nervous.
The next couple of songs really didn’t do a whole lot for me but then all of the sudden a welcomed shift in dynamics arrived in the form of “Hot Smoke and Heavy Blues.” This particular tune could’ve been a long lost Motorhead classic and I really enjoyed the hell of this one. As the album progressed I just felt like it kind of plodded on without any real direction. Don’t get me wrong, the songs didn’t suck (except for Shanghai Surprise) but none of the songs just really seemed to capture me and real excite me.
Mothership is a band that I like. I really enjoy seeing them live and the energy level that they put out live really sets a great tone for a fun experience but on album, I just don’t feel that same excitement or gravitational pull. Sometimes it’s ok to not love a band. There are plenty of bands that I like and will always go see live because I enjoy it and that’s ok. Not every band can be a band you love. With “II”, Mothership solidified themselves as a band that “like” and you know what? I’m just find with that.
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