Customer Reviews

Lost in Revelry

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um, can i just say that i wish this album had been around when i was in the process of breaking up with my last boyfriend? it really would have come in handy, believe me. this is very lonely music, kind of indie-alt-countryish (?) with both male and female vocalists who create beautifully wistful and understated harmonies together...and the words, well, let's just say that some of these songs are vicious lyrically. "so i said i wanted you / but i didn't mean it / i just wanted to see if i could say those things and still look you in the eye" is from "queen of england," a slow almost romantic-sounding song until you listen to the acid in the words and then watch out.

another good song on this record is "whatever happened to you?" with the lyrics "you once were the light who helped to show me / when I was right / and when I was wrong / and now all you are is a line in a song to me." Yeah, take that, you exs everywhere. "we're all in this alone" is stellar as well, solitary and almost creepy but strangely catchy at the same time.

this has been one of the albums this year that i have fallen totally head over heels in love with, listened to over and over and carried around with me like a security blanket of some kind - it's really almost perfect. i honestly cannot recommend it highly enough. if you are into the alt-country thing at all or if you like good music in general then do me a favour and check it out.

Both Magnet and Uncut magazines appropriately named this album as one of the best of 2002. The Mendoza Line can be described as a mishmash of (indie) rock, pop and back porch country (at least on this album). Lost in Revelry is certainly not solid or thematic (w/ the exception of the sorrowful tone throughout), so for those who find that vital for a good album, they may be disappointed.

There are three singers/songwriters on the album, Timothy Bracy, Peter Hoffman, and Shannon McArdle. With their unique styles, these three alone create much diversity throughout the tracks. The guitars range from acoustic to slide to pedal steel to electric, varying from song-to-song rather than within one song.

Now to the songs themselves: The clever and poignant lyrics are chock-full of gloom and sarcasm throughout the album (aren't most great songs?). Because of their diversity, some stand out more than others, which may be dependent on one's preference of genre. My personal favorites are the opening track "A Damn Good Disguise" and "Triple Bill of Shame", both sung in a seemingly effortless and drunken style by Bracy (ala Bob Dylan and Tom Waits). The former is a perfect opener starting slowly with simple piano then plunged into an energetic and rootsy melody. The latter is a slow gravelly tune, assembled magnificently with slide guitar, soft piano and clever rhymes. Also good is "Something Dark", a feisty little number sung scornfully yet casually by McArdle, while backed with simple electric guitar strums. Other standouts are "Mistakes Were Made" and "Under Radar" (both more on the upbeat indie rock side).

All in all, this album is quite an interesting and enjoyable ride.

I can only say that this was my favorite record of last year. This record is hard to find in your local record store, so search it out... Incredible - can't wait to hear more!!

This is certainly one of the best surprises of the year. Having only heard a bit of the Mendoza Line before, I was caught completely off guard by this album. This is alt-country at its very finest, up there with the best works of Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown, and the Old 97's. Every song is a knockout, with great hooks and genuinely awe-inspiring lyrics. Some of the pharses on this album just beg to be replayed and savored. If you are at all a fan of any of the bands I mentioned before, or just want a great album to play on a lonely rainy day, "Lost in Revelry" is an absolute can't miss.

Great songwriting, tasty indie alt - pop. Despair, disallusionment, regret -- it's all there with wonderful textures and sweet pop melodies played and sung with conviction. There is some traditional instrumentation on the record, but it's far from country -- probably more their Athens roots than anything. If you like Wilco, the Replacements, Buffalo Tom, or Uncle Tupelo, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It will remind you that indie pop when played can matter.

...the Mendozas are simply the best ska revivalists hoeing that music's row today.
There's no shame in admitting that I, as a young undergraduate, skanked and drank'd the night away in many of Beantown's sweatiest drives--all to the driving riddims of an equally young Mendoza Line. Their bottom was solid, their harmonies were tight, and their enthusiasm for their material and their gig was always--ALWAYS--infectious. And while one could quibble with some of the choices here in production and instrumentation--Bob Ezrin?; tabla?; flaming Doobie Brothers/"What's Happening" gong?--it's nice to see that so much of these kids' callow mid-80s magic still comes across.