Killing The Old Ways
Paradiddle, 2022
9/10
Listen to Killing The Old Ways
You may not be familiar with the name Pete Mancini, but one listen of his timeless Americana that’s indebted to rock’n’roll and country, and you certainly won’t forget who he is.
Mancini starts Killing The Old Ways with the warm and emotive “Standing In The Shadows”, where his smooth and poetic voice is met with calm drums, warm guitar and light harmony vocals, and “Old Television” follows with a more firm approach of thumping drums and lightly buzzing electric guitar as synth makes an impact.
The title track occupies the middle spot and is a bit more rugged as agile fiddle and Bronson Pew’s drumming acrobatics are quite alluring, while “Don’t Ask (If You Don’t Want To Know)” offers a romantic spirit of folk friendly song craft that possesses much beauty.
Further still, “Horse & Sparrow” is one of the loudest tunes, where gritty alt-country embraces power-pop in a track so good, it alone is worth the price of admission, and “Flyover States” exits the listen and cultivates a cozy groove thanks to Jay Gonzalez’s proficient keys.
Mancini also takes help from Matt Patton (bass, harmony vocals), Schaefer Llana (harmony vocals), Horace Willis (guitar, harmony vocals), and Jamison Hollister (pedal steel, fiddle, electric guitar), and together it makes for an unassuming and irresistible version of roots music.
Travels well with: Nathan Bell- Red, White And American Blues; Aaron Skiles- Wreckage