Mickey Moone - MANIC!

Mickey Moone

MANIC!
She Died Productions; 2015

3.6 out of 5

By Jerrica Tisdale

Barrie, Ontario native Mickey Moone's infectious energy and dynamic performances draw in North American crowds. The International One Man Band Festival displayed Moone, alongside Molly Gene and Dirty Deep. His latest album Manic! highlights the fast-paced, upbeat euphoria Moone creates when he plays. Manic! feels like a bar closing time confessional. 

It has all the grit and grime of a drunken one-night stand, but with a sober heart. Moone's high-energy sound, led by the guitar chords, help emulate the despair and allure of hookups and breakups. Each song on the album works to create a breezy, fun atmosphere and tone. 

Our favorite tracks on Manic! are "In a Way," "Judge You," "Ancient," You Come Around" and "Lonely Mess." "In a Way" provides the appropriate opening for the album. It expresses the most prolific theme of Manic!: substituting love with lust. Its sound creates an almost country-rock hybrid. "Judge You" talks about letting go of mistakes. Moone's singing style sounds a bit grunge and this song gives it that quality the most. The underlining instruments help elevate the voice, without overpowering it. 

"Ancient" is the most intriguing song on the album. The song has more of an ambiguous message. We heard "Ancient" as a political song against blindly accepting authority. The song also gives some of the most interesting sound choices, with sound effects, voice-overs and more experimental beats.

"You Come Around" once again is a tale of wanting someone impossible to have. The song takes more of a 'tired of this drama' tone. The beats give it a hint of a soul music sound. "Lonely Mess" explicitly embraces the allure of "lonely girls" and the situations they create. It works as a little ditty. 

Moone creates a well-formed narrative with Manic! - one personal but generalized for the listeners. The album takes us on a high-energy ride from start to end. Manic! is an ambitious, adventurous album that works on almost all levels.

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