Andy Menudo

Cuts Itch - cd review

Anyone who's up for trading Saturday night drinks downtown for DIY outdoor indie-rock ought to take a peek at what Andy Brooks of local band Mittens is doing as a side project under the name "Andy Menudo." Ears open, folks, January 19th at 8p.m. will be the release of his record Cuts Itch at the basketball courts at the Stony Brook MTBA station in Jamaica Plain.

Should Saturday night take the listening public elsewhere, Andy Menudo's music is available through iTunes and should not be over looked. Cuts Itch features 12 tracks of well-made and inventive yet timeless sounds.

Album favorites include "Save the Date" and "She Don't Cook Well." These tracks hold up the middle of the album up with the time-tested chord changes and vocal mixing of "Save the Date" and the pop-fuzz lyrics of "She Don’t Cook Well."

"Motorcycle Man" is a short but sweet pop love song, contrasted by the previous track "Where Have You Been All My Night?" It's a relief to hear the soaring synthesizer of "Motorcycle Man" as it contrasts the previous track's dragging finish that detracted from an otherwise listenable song.

Andy Menudo performs as a musician aware of his contemporaries on Cuts Itch. The listener will hear little touches of other bands like Beirut, Bright Eyes and Elliot Smith whether intentional or not. There are also notes of musical legends like The Doors, prominently in "Wander'n" where vocals are haunting and controlled.

There is no lack of a sense of humor, either, with songs like "Give Me Something to Mazel Tov" which creates a new way to say something songwriters are always trying to relate. The inventiveness of the refrain makes up for the inclusion of tired "the writing's on the wall" as lyrics in the song. Also, "I Think It's Been Too Long Since We Got High" has sing-a-long potential that promise success at local shows when Menudo starts to play around town. www.myspace.com/andymenudo

Live, Andy sings along to an iPod for the fact that he "doesn't want another band, can't play the guitar particularly well, and it's super easy." This format brings to mind the surprisingly entertaining success of The Blow in the Boston area recently. With the upbeat, playful, sincere and solemn songs in his repertoire, you will need a greater than great excuse to miss an Andy Menudo performance.

Originally published in Spare Change News 1/17/08.