Over the weekend, local rockers MammaBear dropped a two-track EP called Strange Love as a teaser for their upcoming sophomore album due out in 2016. As part of the promotional blitz surrounding the release, the group also unveiled a new video for the EP’s lead track, “Kick Me.” In it, top cub Kyle Gordon once again teams up with director Nick Rhodes of Coalesce Films (the two also worked together on last year’s “Ravens Falls”) to deliver a video as entertaining and repeatable as the hooky garage rock that Gordon so consistently offers.

This time around we find Gordon looking for love and finding his advances rebuffed at the traveling carnival. His sleazy rival, played by John Timmers, may steal the show with his two-finger pistol and gum flip, but Gordon still pulls it all together–just like the track behind this tongue-in-cheek mini-drama.

The swaggering garage sounds of “Kick Me” lean on a different decade of U.K. power pop impresarios than the EP’s counterpoint track, “Strange Love,” which skillfully channels vintage Gallagher brothers. You may have already seen the “Strange Love” video, where our hero survives a neighborhood bike race to win a giant cardboard check and—just maybe—the girl. It’s been floating out there for a couple of months now and is well worth the Vimeo visit.

Gordon has returned his roots for this new EP by tapping Ponderosa’s Kris Sampson to turn the knobs (Sampson produced YO’s excellent 2011 release, Afterglow). The result is layers of reverb-soaked guitars and just enough stomp to propel us along with Gordon’s earnest vocals. When he’s at, or near, his best, as he seems to be on these tracks, Gordon’s MammaBear tracks have a devilish earworm quality to them.

If there is a disappointment here, it’s that there are not more songs to turn through, but there’s hope. With a new record on the horizon, Gordon has assembled a proper band around this former bedroom project (do we still call it that?) and has pledged more shows and, maybe, some touring.

More Info
Web: mammabearmusic.com
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