Dawn Of A New Error
Mpress, 2024
9/10
The debut album from the Hoboken native and singer-songwriter-guitarist James Mastro, the 9 tracks recruit Ian Hunter, Brian Griffin and Steve Goulding for the roots rock affair.
The blue collar energy of “Right Words, Wrong Song” starts the listen with a hint of grit in Mastro’s voice, as powerful guitar and playful organ complement the mood, and “My God” follows with a calmer approach of soft guitar and poetic singing that comes with much warmth.
Further into the listen, “Everywhere” carries a hint of jangly folk-rock, where the setting builds into more forceful singing, while “Trouble” flows with a charming version of Americana that benefits from reflective storytelling and harmonic backing vocals.
Close to the end, the gospel spirit of “Someday Someone Will Turn Your Head Around” uses call and response vocals amid the rich textures, and “River Runs Forever” exits with meticulous acoustic guitar and a trace of ambience alongside harmonica.
Mastro’s resume includes his early years in The Richard Lloyd Group, more recently playing with Ian Hunter, Patti Smith and Alejandro Escovedo, and this step into the frontman position reminds us of all that we love about Springsteen and Jesse Malin or even The Jayhawks.
Travels well with: Rachael Sage- The Other Side; A Fragile Tomorrow- It’s Better That Way