The Mavericks (from the album Moon & Stars

The Mavericks (from the album Moon & Stars

The Mavericks (from the album Moon & Stars on Mono Mundo Recordings/Thirty Tigers) (By Lee Zimmerman)

Any extraterrestrial intents implied by the title aside, Moon & Stars is everything fans have come to expect from The Mavericks by now. Flush with seductive, sensual rhythms and a Latin largess, it finds the band fully embracing roots, romance, and meticulous melodies through a cohesive shift in tone and tempo. It is, in fact, attuned to a template the group adopted long ago, well after laying claim to an Americana pedigree that initially defied categorization and a fit within a specific format.
 
Nevertheless, suffice it to say, they’re as alluring as always, a bountiful blend of sexuality and suggestion in equal and ample proportion. The south-of-the border brass flourishes add another defining element, driving the music forward with a subtle yet assured sound equally suited to the studio as well as the stage. The Fantastic Four — saxophonist Max Abrams, trumpeters and percussionists Julio Diaz and Lorenzo Molina Ruiz, and accordion player Percy Cardona — have been effectively integrated into the mix, doubling the size of the band while enhancing the aura and intrigue all at the same time.
 
Even so, the core of the band remains its greatest asset — that being Eddie Perez’s sweeping guitars, Jerry Dale McFadden providing the flourish on keys, drummer Paul Deakin maintaining his persistent pace, and of course, singer and guitarist Raul Malo who continues to maintain his causal cool. His vocals are, as always, striking throughout, whether adding some subdued mystique and a calming caress to “The Years Will Not Be Kind”, procuring the sass and sway given “Live Close By (Visit Often)” (alongside special guest Nicole Atkins), maintaining his captivating croon on “And We Dance”, or mimicking the horns on “Look Around You”, the latter featuring guest vocalist Maggie Rose. The percolating Pop of “A Guitar and a Bottle of Wine” and the beguiling ballad “Turn Yourself Around” add opportunity to fluctuate from the formula.
 
While Raul Malo had a hand in writing all the songs, the album also benefitted from some notable cowriters — K.T. Olson on “Live Close By (Visit Often)”, Seth Walker on the title track (featuring special guest Sierra Ferrell), Seth Walker and Jarrod Dickerson on “A Guitar and a Bottle of Wine”, and the legendary composer Kostas on “Here You Come Again”. The cumulative effect is another trademark Mavericks album, as rich, rousing, and robust as anything the band has ever offered. In aiming for Moon & Stars, they guarantee their place on the planet is still safe and secure. (by Lee Zimmerman)


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