Photo by David Armstrong
While most of us find ourselves in a constant race against the time, The Mantles seem to have tamed the illusory dimension. The Bay Area psychedelic rockers have been racketing around the garages since 2007, yet only now, the stamp marks their second LP, Long Enough To Leave, with a release date of June 18, 2013. Joining the Oakland-based Slumberland Records, The Mantles offer up the first taste from their forthcoming album with "Brown Balloon"- a tune of lo-fi jangles and hi-fi melodies. The three and a half-minute track sounds more epic than its duration denotes, especially with the wistful guitar solo towards its conclusion. While the years have smoothed out some of the jagged edges from the quartet's music, the visceral energy has not dwindled. Even if The Mantles took ten years to release their next album, I suspect it will be as eternal and full of life as we know them now.
Long Enough To Leave Track List:
1. Marbled Birds
2. Hello
3. Long Enough To Leave
4. Reason's Run
5. Raspberry Thighs
6. Brown Balloon
7. Bad Design
8. Don't Cross Town
9. More That I Pay
10. Shadow Of Your Step