The Maniac Loves You / It’s Hard to Fit in When You’re an Alligator / March 2018
https://themaniaclovesyou.bandcamp.com
The Maniac Loves You is a hard band to pin down – every time you think you’ve got them placed neatly in one box, they kick themselves out, and then burn the box to the ground.
Their recent release, It’s Hard to Fit in When You’re an Alligator, certainly fits into their self-described style of alternative punk pop, but there’s more to the story. Each time they seamlessly switch between song segments, marked by distinct drumbeat changes and new guitar lines, they seem to flirt with other adjacent musical stylings.
There is humor in the lyrics, but it’s so dry it is easily overlooked (your loss). Listeners who want to take the time to really pay attention, which is highly recommended, will be rewarded with clever lyrical hooks and catchy choruses.
The four friends from Leominster, Mass.–James Romano on guitar/vocals, Jeff Schuller on drums, Ben Nickerson on bass, and Zach Marquis on guitar – have been playing music (together and in other bands) for many years, and it’s apparent that these are seasoned musicians. The transitions between verses and choruses are tight like a glove, and the individual instruments maintain complex patterns without cluttering the overall sound.
The Maniac Loves You has two other EPs on their bandcamp, including their first release in 2014 under their original name We’re Just Friends. If you live in Central Mass, you can usually find them playing out in the area.
–Mary Redstone
Digital Wheat Paste 