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 - Wow -- just buy itHave been an MMW fan for a while, but struggled with them -- love that fat groove, but not as wild about their more experimental stuff. No middle ground for me with them. Then along comes this album and it all just clicks from end to end. Not a bad track on it. Couldn't even name a favorite. Even my wife, who is NOT an MMW fan is finding it to be one of her new faves. It also got me to re-examine Uninvisible, which I'm now digging a whole lot more. I like the direction these guys have taken. Rating:  - Just another excuse to trance dance, perhapsMmm. Already I like this better than Uninvisible. I don't like to use the expression "break new ground" with MMW as I think their retro-future-funk sound is too grounded in a well-oiled groove to be considered on the fringes of truly progressive music. But tracks like Anonymous Skulls, Bloody Oil, and New Planet definitely display the expansion of pallette that is to be hoped for with these insane musical communicators. And then there are other tracks like Shine It which bear an almost too-close resemblance to previous outings (in this case Note Bleu, which it could easily be without the extra transitional bars thrown in). But that is me speaking as someone who has listened to far too much MMW. The sexy details that punctuated Uninvisible but were let down by flat tracks that refused to grow are amplified here by well-rounded nuggets of groove that, even if sometimes derivative of the past, never sound stale. All in all a solid outing, thank you boys, and kudos to John King - you really know how to make the stars shine. Rating: - Penultimate MMWThe right record, the right sound, the right songs, at the right time. When the new music scene (especially jazz) has never been staler, here comes MMW to fill the void. This record is so different for them that I wouldn't be a bit surprised if some brave alternative rock dj's started playing a few of these tracks! After loving MMW's ground breaking jazz for years, their CDs permanent residents in my car, I finally got the chance to see them live this past summer. Before the concert began, I marveled at not only how many people were there, but the VARIETY of people that were there. Sure, all the usual jazz afficionados and obvious musician types, but also people with metal t-shirts, nose rings, gothics, and people who obviously came to dance in the mosh pit. (Yes, a pit at a MMW concert!) Then they came on for an awesome "two song" performance (as I've heard they typically do...two one hour and 15 min non-stop sets, one song morphing into the next). I didn't recognize much of the music at the time, but I loved it, and now I'm hearing it again...on this new album. Another thing that surprised me at the concert was the strength of Chris Wood's presence and bass playing. In much of MMW's past music, he's taken the back seat, but on this new album (and in concert), he is front and center. Chris's bass playing is moving to new heights and he's taking this band with him. His improv consistently got the most applause, and the rest of the time, his grooves were heavy, cool, and carried the band. He's employing inventive multi-string lines, chording and harmonics in almost every groove now. The audience loved him so much, that when it came time for the oncore, the band sent Chris out alone first for a solo. Awesome. But I digress from this incomparable album. What the other reviewers have failed to mention so far is that these songs differ from the past in their STRUCTURE. The focus here is on songwriting rather than improv. Awesome and original chord progressions rather than meandering lines. And deceptive simplicity. But don't worry. As with all MMW albums, there is enough detail here that you will hear something new every time you listen. I cannot recommend this album highly enough. Buy it. Expose your friends who, even if they're not jazz fans, are tired of pop music and are looking for the next big thing. This album is going to cross-over. Remember Weather Report in the 70's? Do you think it was jazz fans that made them famous? Do you remember when you first heard "Birdland" on rock radio? End of the World Party is MMW's "Heavy Weather". They HAD to show that they could make this album. And I'm very glad they did. And by the way, make sure you get over the iTunes Store and pick up the exclusive single "Whiney Bitches". A mind bending 5:8 time funk jam! It SHOULD have been song #13 on this album. Enjoy! Rating: - tight, focused, crisp, flowing, nails it!My favorite tracks on this are: 1,2,5,8,10,11,12 Yes, that's most of the album! But each one of those keys up an endorphin rush when I hear it. I guess the single track that grabs me the most is number five, New Planet. Maybe that's because it has the most immediate hook to it. The music on this album feels like a cross between Shack Man and Uninvisible. Shack Man's groove, hooks, infallible flow. Uninvisible's hiphop-inspired production, polish, snap. The only thing I don't like about this album is the cover's artwork. It feels like something for Pizzicato Five or some kind of would-be Manga-meets-Jetsons futurism. But who cares? The music is what counts and the music most definitely delivers. Rating: - MMW never ceases to amaze.Every time I think I have this band figured out they throw me a curve ball. And this album was the biggest yet. When I first put the disk in I thought they had put the wrong CD in the case. "There's no way this is MMW," I said. It is completely different than anything they have ever done on a studio album. A departure from their wacked-out, i-have-no-idea-whats-going-on-but-i-love-it jazz roots. It seems that Billy Martin (aka "illy B Eats") has brought some of his love of hip-hop and funk grooves to the table. The songs are much more simplistic than MMW's usual stuff but if you give it a good listen you'll hear that they do it better than anyone. A great album that has much more to offer than it seems at first glance. Pick it up!
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