Because no one wants to read a nine thousand word post about how much I am digging The Mayfield Four, the band Myles Kennedy was in before Alter Bridge, (except maybe a few people on The Alter Bridge Nation) I'm introducing a new series, so I can geek out about a song or two per week.
It's happening on Monday because I like alliteration.
It's my party and I will obsess over 15-year-old albums from a band that no longer exists if I want to.
The Mayfield Four released two albums, Fallout in 1998 and Second Skin in 2001.
This is "Lyla," from Second Skin:
I have been wondering why The Mayfield Four never hit big. My husband pointed out that while they sound awesome now, Mf4 didn't sound that different from many other bands on the radio in the late '90's/early '00's. Think Matchbox Twenty, Eve 6, or The Wallflowers...that whole alternative scene that was huge then.
I'm biased, but I think The Mayfield Four is better. The music on some of their songs is a bit heavier than the bands I just mentioned. You can't argue that Myles Kennedy is an amazing vocalist. On these albums, he freaking goes for it. There's more passion and variety in his delivery than you'll find on an Alter Bridge record.
The observation that The Mayfield Four's music sounds so much like the era it was released in might explain why I am so attached to it right now. I feel like I'm 17 again when I listen.
Why I want to be my dorky 17-year-old self again, I don't know...as if I act like an adult now. But, you know...anything was possible, and I didn't have to pay bills.
Thanks for reading! Whether you want it or not, there's more of The Mayfield Four to come!
--Mrs. W.
It's happening on Monday because I like alliteration.
It's my party and I will obsess over 15-year-old albums from a band that no longer exists if I want to.
The Mayfield Four released two albums, Fallout in 1998 and Second Skin in 2001.
This is "Lyla," from Second Skin:
Why I dig this song: It's not the first song to tell a "girl down on her luck longs to get out of her hellish life" tale, but I appreciate the storytelling. The music compliments the lyrics brilliantly:
The intro is pretty mellow, setting the sad scene. Kennedy's voice is pure and pretty. The second part of the verse kicks in with the rough guitars at about :40. The story gets rougher as well, and the vocals match the change in intensity: "scared and alone, turning tricks and getting stoned to survive..."
A great sing-along, chorus follows: "I'll find my wings/I'll fly away/over the mountains/and over the pain/and I won't look back..." Like any good story, taking the song from specific, to an anthem most of us could belt out and relate to.
At about 2:25. Kennedy's voice elevates this song from good to great.
I have been wondering why The Mayfield Four never hit big. My husband pointed out that while they sound awesome now, Mf4 didn't sound that different from many other bands on the radio in the late '90's/early '00's. Think Matchbox Twenty, Eve 6, or The Wallflowers...that whole alternative scene that was huge then.
I'm biased, but I think The Mayfield Four is better. The music on some of their songs is a bit heavier than the bands I just mentioned. You can't argue that Myles Kennedy is an amazing vocalist. On these albums, he freaking goes for it. There's more passion and variety in his delivery than you'll find on an Alter Bridge record.
The observation that The Mayfield Four's music sounds so much like the era it was released in might explain why I am so attached to it right now. I feel like I'm 17 again when I listen.
Why I want to be my dorky 17-year-old self again, I don't know...as if I act like an adult now. But, you know...anything was possible, and I didn't have to pay bills.
Thanks for reading! Whether you want it or not, there's more of The Mayfield Four to come!
--Mrs. W.
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