Mardo - Mardo By Kevin Wierzbicki

Mardo - Mardo 
Label: House of Restitution
Release Date:  2/8/05
Rating: 

Go ahead and lay down your ear-bones. Just surrender them and let them rock. You are now in Mardo territory, a land governed by Flying V guitars. Listen for their call then heed the wise words that follow.

Mardo is an L.A. based trio consisting of brothers Aron and Robert �Robbie� Mardo with guitarist/vocalist Rob Small. Small was recruited after the brothers had finished their self-titled debut, so although he is pictured on the disc, he does not play on it. Aron is the main singer and also holds down the bass and keyboard chores while Robbie plays guitar and drums. �Anyone But Me,� Mardo�s opening salvo, has Robbie drumming a steady march while his (multi-tracked) guitar foot soldiers spray everything in sight with laser-tight riffage; Aron snarls condescendingly, �Well, you think you don�t need meeee!� Forget locking up the women. They will answer this siren song. 

Like their lean, rock-stud bodies, there�s no filler on Mardo. The boys got their musical education at home, learning to play by ear while ingesting a steady diet of classic and eclectic rock from their parent�s collection. (May the cosmos forever bless you Mr. and Mrs. M!) �Cold Creepin�� borrows shamelessly from Golden Earring and you�ll recognize a little �My Woman from Tokyo� in �Big Mouth Shotgun,� where Deep Purple meets Guns�n�Roses. �Last Call� is pure power-pop that recalls Cheap Trick and reflects the brothers� penchant for well written songs that shines throughout. The only song here not written by Aron and Robbie is �I Want a New Drug,� the Huey Lewis chestnut. The seemingly unlikely choice of covers rocks hard thanks to a stuttering arrangement of swooping guitars, fuzzy vocals and a funky sax break from Les Pierce, Mardo�s producer.

These guys may not be the saviors of rock�n�roll, but man, it feels good!