Twelve and a half years since its debut, Irene, with only the release of Robin (2015) in between, longstanding Murfreesboro funk and groove outfit Mize and the Drive has released its third full-length, studio album, Louie and the Short-Time Angels, out of Nashville’s Welcome to 1979 Studios.
With finessed earworms and off-the-chest lyrics, Louie runs a testament to Mize and the Drive’s “local, staple band” evolution over space and time, touring from Ohio to Georgia over the years and appearing locally at The Roosters (both Red and Blue), The Boro and Wall Street—even contributing to bowing the second floor of that downtown Murfreesboro restaurant and bar, as anyone who has attended a good show with a large crowd during its era of hosting local bands in its upstairs space has experienced.
The release holds true to the band’s Coldplay-meets-Funkadelic musicality and feel, blending groove and ambiance, and its vocal stylings, which nod to Jason Isbell and Incubus’s Brandon Boyd.
Mize and the Drive recorded Louie and the Short-Time Angels as “live” as possible, steamrolling through eight songs in two days, without overdubs, according to the group.
A tearjerker is softened by the well-rising, disciplined arrangement in “Mason’s Song,” while, inversely, a calming atmospheric ambience in “Doppelganger” is hyped up to a saxophone-funked “Won’t Get Fooled Again”-type intensity, showcasing saxophonist Alex Stevenson’s capabilities duetting with skilled funk-bass placement or soaring guitar solo work. Yes, while riffing in the realm of jam-funk, Mize and the Drive’s real talent lies in the intertwining breaths of the various members building and crescendoing with one another in the moment in these live-recorded arrangements.
“When I look over and I see Nate crushing the bass, and Cody killing it, and Alex doing the things he does, and Dan hittin’ the rhythms, it’s so therapeutic. It’s therapy that’d be priceless to try to even pay for it all. These guys keep it going, for sure,” frontman Lee Ramsay says.
“Premeditated” delivers a more ominous lyrical approach from Ramsay, but the flowing song structure and the smooth sounds of his backing brothers’ groove easily lighten the track in the moment. It’s an emotional roller coaster, but therapeutic for both the listener and band members, as Mize jam-reverses emotional polarity on its drive.
And that’s just the first three songs.
“Delorean” is back from the Irene album, and reworked, if you’re into this kind of time travel. Take me back . . .
Find Mize and the Drive’s Louie and the Short-Time Angels on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. The band plans a vinyl release for the album scheduled to coincide with its appearance at Mayday Brewery (521 Old Salem Rd.) on Saturday, April 20.
