Customer Reviews

Lochloosa

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mofro's finally got a new record (a number of unfortunate car crashes on tour played a big part in the wait), and it's a winner! LOCHLOOSA is more focused than Blackwater, but the essentials are still there--J.J.'s soaring, soulful vocals, the funky grooves, the heart in the song, and the sentimental attachment to Florida that first made the band's music so accessible. This record is a bit more bluesy than its predecessor--the acoustic slide guitar is more prevalent (as well as J.J. on harmonica), and the bass isn't quite as thumpy. Also gone is the otherworldly sound of songs like "Blackwater," but what we're left with is a truly organic, soulful sound that you might expect to hear on somebody's porch in swamps of Florida. Some highlights are "Lochloosa," similar to "Florida" from BLACKWATER, "Dirtfloorcracker," which gets down to dirty, funky business, the soaring "Fireflies," the punchy "Six Ways from Sunday," the hot harp riff in "How Junior..." and "Pray For Rain," an excellent acoustic song reminiscent of Dylan's "Ballad of Hollis Brown," in its aching human pain. Overall, LOCHLOOSA is more cohesive and has much fewer throwaway, jokier tracks, but still utilizes that trademark Mofro funky soul groove. Check it out especially if you're a fan of the Meters, Galactic, funky jam bands...but really, I'd recommend it to pretty much anybody who likes music with heart. Check it out!

I've always been a fan of great soul singers like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and James Brown. On Lochloosa, Mofro does these legends proud. The first time I listened to this CD my subwoofer shook the floor and I couldn't help but dance around the room like a fool. I've played the disc many, many times since and it just gets better with every listen. Unfortunately, my dance moves still suck. This is authentic southern music performed by genuine live musicians making the best soul recording since "Blackwater." I highly recommend both of these extraordinary CDs.

The first time I ever heard Mofro, I was travelling through the Pacific Northwest. One night, a friend from Florida came to visit, pumped about a debut cd by a band from his hometown. That cd was Blackwater and that band was Mofro. I was instantly hooked on their sound - listening to JJ sing was like hanging out with your mates for a bbq and someone picking up a guitar, his voice is that soulful. When I found out that Lochloosa was going to be released, I pre-ordered it after almost wearing Blackwater out. I am not disappointed! With it's punchy bass and awesome melodic sound, Mofro is making a permanent place for themselves on a universal music scene. In a time when synthesised electronic sounds are the norm, there's nothing as refreshing as playing Lochloosa loud and feeling the same way you do at a live music show. I haven't been to Florida (yet) and I'll probably never know any of the people or places that Mofro sing about - but hearing the heart that this band backs their music up with, makes me feel like I'd be welcome to walk up their front porch any day for a cold beer. I'd be surprised if there was another Mofro fan in Australia - whenever I put on their cd in a crowd, I'm always asked who they are. I have to say that finding their music abroad and then bringing it home with me only makes every time I listen to either of their cd's even more awesome. Go on, take the plunge - invest your money in real music made with real instruments - you won't be disappointed either!

Mofro is one of the most entertaining bands in the nation. The soul, energy, and thought-provocking lyrics that come from J.J. Grey and company are simply like nothing I've ever heard. Do yourself a favor and go to their website, find a date at a venue near you, and go.

Lochloosa is Mofro's follow-up CD to Blackwater. It features a diverse array of material - no song sounds anything like another. I particularly like "Everybodys", "Pray for Rain" - hidden track,"dirt floor cracka", and of course "Lochloosa".

What can I compare the sound to? Nothing. This is swamp funk. It's got soul, it's got funk, and it's fried up in batter to taste good.

What if you crossed Lynyrd Skynyrd with the Black Crowes, sprinkled it with some hill country blues and filtered it through JJ Cale and Tony Joe White? The result would be Mofro.

Put this album on, close your eyes, and you'll find yourself in the swamps of north Florida, surrounded by live oak trees festooned with spanish moss. Storm clouds are brewing off to the west and there's a gator drifting in the dark water. It's downright eerie.

Mofro is one of those rare bands that writes songs because they need to be sung - not because they're looking for a hit. Sometimes introspective, sometimes funky, but always vital, Lochloosa is an astounding showcase for the band's talent. If you don't find your toes tapping or your hips shaking, you're probably dead.

Front Porch Soul music for sure. I had the pleasure of first seeing Mofro when they toured last summer with the BB King Blues Festival. I immediately purchased the Blackwater CD and immediately purchased Lochloosa when it was released. Lochloosa is deep down soul from the heart. JJ sings about what he knows best and even though I live far from the backwaters of Florida I can relate to how he feels. Anybody interested in deep bluesy soul should invest in Mofro!

Don't get me wrong, I love Orange Blossoms and Country Ghetto, but they just don't quite grab you the way this album does, considering they have a more "produced/polished" sound (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'll get into that in a bit).

Sound wise, this has a great acoustic feel, with lots of headroom in the instrumentation. The slide guitar parts are well presented and performed (I'm a slide guitarist myself). Overall, it carries a much slower pace (in my mind) relative to newer releases, which is more congruent with Southern culture in general.

The recording feels a lot more honest in my opinion, carrying with it a feeling of live performance with minimal work done in post. While I myself have a solid background (16 or so years as of writing this) as a performing musician, and can appreciate rhythmic and overall perfection in a performance, there is such a thing as "too perfect". Too much time shifting, retakes and splices can seriously affect a recording to the point of causing it to lose the beauty of the performance. This album does not have that problem, in my opinion.

I really do like the CD. Although it's not my favorite of theirs. It does have alot of good songs on it, I find myself listening to the other CD's more.

I am a music junkie. I am always on pandora and e-music looking for new music. This is by far my best find in a long time. If you like blues, grass-roots, rock and roll, you have to have this and all of Mofro's albums. If you appreciate true musical talent you need to check this out. Burn your Nickelback, Creed and Lincoln Park CD's!! Run when you start to hear techno music! And protest the insult to your God given acoustic sensis that is the stupid Kid Rock Sweet Home Alabama song! And listen to some good music... start here... this is great! I'm serious. Do it.

Do NOT miss this cd. Amazing compositions, great for lonnnnng road trips in the heat of summer. Better than anything I've ever heard in twenty years. Funky. Danceable. Smokin' hot.