The Manx

Blood Chronicles [EP] (2013)

Ricky Frankel

The Manx is no ordinary folk-punk band. This Los Angeles-based band isn't made up of a lead guitarist, a rhythm guitarist, a bassist and a drummer. Instead, the instruments they use are an upright bass, a banjo, an accordion and a mandolin, which really makes them stand out.

Blood Chronicles follows the band's first EP Storms Thrashing Our Vessel. Of the five tracks on Blood Chronicles, the first two are the best. The first track of Blood Chronicles is entitled "Blood Gold." This backbone of this song is a killer mandolin riff that is also shared with the accordion. Of the five songs on this EP, this song by far has the best melody and the best meshing of the lead and back-up vocals. What really makes this song stand out from the other songs is the melody in chorus and the instrumental breaks in between the verses.

The next track, "Husky Tavern," is the longest on the EP. The first thing you might notice is on this track they added a "water boiling" and a "howling wolf" sound effect, which adds some character to the introduction. The first half of it is a lot slower-paced than the rest of songs on EP, but once the instruments stop and you hear the "eating/crunching" and the "bells" sound effect the song explodes with speed and volume. Both the lead and back-up vocals in the second half of "Husky Tavern" are fast-paced enough to be reminiscent of a Streetlight Manifesto song mixed with a Flogging Molly vibe.

Don't be put off by The Manx's unorthodox choice of instruments. This band rocks. And with their crusty-sounding vocals and sudden rhythm changes, this band definitely has potential. It will be really interesting to see what their next EP or first LP will sound like if and when it is recorded.

Notes:
For my fellow vinyl enthusiasts, the 7-inch comes in a combination of translucent red and clear. 500 copies were pressed.