Mr. Moonshine Provides A Playground for Loveable Freaks in Debut

On their debut album, slated to drop March 3, the four piece alternative rock band, Mr. Moonshine, has cast a wide net proving that they have a handle on anything from hard rock anthems to the Vaudevillian obscure. Over the course of 12 tracks, they show they have the ability to paint in many styles. Think circa ‘80’s Red Hot Chili Peppers meet Metallica, and then go to a rodeo to down some ‘shrooms. Well, here it is; gooey, glowing swirls of melody and noise, lyrics and sounds worth waiting for.

Mr. Moonshine hails from Long Beach, California. If you visit the City of Long Beach tourist information or visitor sites online, you’ll find they describe their town as “one giant playground located right in the heart of Southern California,” citing Disneyland—(a mere 25.3 miles away) and Universal Studios (32.9 miles or 1.5 hours) as examples of the playful atmosphere. For those who are familiar with Long Beach, it is better known for its busy ports, and large oil industry with wells located both underground and offshore. It suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the entire United States with water quality to match. Palm trees and refineries dot the skyline; needles and dead seagulls awash on the sand. It is a backdrop of industry struggling for survival and relevance in the age of technology. If music can evoke a mood of an environment from which it springs, (ie: Nirvana/Seattle, Country/Nashville), then it is appropriately fitting that the oddly dark and theatrical sound of Mr. Moonshine would spring from a backdrop, such as Long Beach.

The album kicks off with My Left Hand; a tune of very fine, clean and detailed sound; that is haunting and lands somewhere between Holy Diver and Enter Sandman. It has a distinctly metal sound, without the metal; punctuated with crunching riffs and great lyrics.

‘You checked the locks twice/You’re not watching closely/Do you trust what you see/Is this what it appears to be?’

The distilled spirit, Absinthe, has a well-documented history of possessing psychoactive properties, due to the chemical compound thujone. Throughout time, many artistic sorts were known as famous Absinthe Drinkers; Mark Twain, Aleister Crowley, Oscar Wilde, Vincent Van Gogh and Marilyn Manson; now joined by Mr. Moonshine. A sonic standout track on the album is Comfort Me With Absinthe. This theatrical creation of mood music, housed in slickness and melancholy, came about ‘after a euphoric night at the Absinthe Bar (William Barnacle Tavern in the Lower East Side of New York City),’says guitarist Daysmel Muniz. It was the first song they wrote, and you can practically see animated, dancing ghouls—ala Tim Burton-- in your mind’s eye, when the first note drops.

‘One drop of green and I’m dreaming/Please take a seat next to me on the ceiling/ The green faerie plays/While I daze at the Chessboard.'

Scary People is mesmerizing in its build; from light to dark; nuances of roiling energy, shimmering drums against a widescreen Goth sense of humor, ultimately a mind bending ride.

Orion’s got a new friend sitting in the front seat/On the way to school where the kids are happy/Dressed in black/Now the kids not sure anymore/The scary people are scared/Because they can’t see.'

The closing track, Bend or Break, is a highlight; music that would sit snugly on any radio playlist alongside Thom Yorke, The Verve or Kings of Leon. Even here, in what could easily be their most radio friendly pop tune, they never lose their unique sense of dramatic flair, with horns exquisitely melting in the groundwork and hook heavy lyrics that are as catchy as hell.

‘So we drove into the night/Until the stars were the only light/That we could see/You have to bend or break/You have to bend or break/We all know that you won’t.’

Every detail of the project is carefully orchestrated with intent, including the cover art. The disc itself portrays the sun—or is it the moon—drinking from a bottle of Absinthe, while the digipack has a minimalistic stylized surreal Gothic scene, etched hands, wolves in trees. One thing that often goes amiss in modern day packaging are liner notes; however, Mr. Moonshine does not disappoint here either.

Ultimately, Mr. Moonshine is a playground of the extremes, instrumentally and lyrically; Yin/Yan, Light/Dark. Odd, intriguing tools of the trade, that makes for an unstoppable musical creation, which leaves you longing for a little more. This quirky quartet did much more than get a little lucky on their debut, they created a monster with a heartbeat.

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