“Breaking the Ice”
from the album Puzzles Like You
2006
iTunes
Mojave 3 have been trading in their smouldering, heartstring tugging brand of country music for over a decade and despite releasing four albums that have easily matched — indeed, on occasion, even surpassed — anything coming from the heartlands of the States, haven’t quite made the commercial or cultural impact that was expected of them. To their credit, the pastoral incarnation of one-time Slowdive members Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell have traversed the dusty country roads to pursue their singular vision but Puzzles Like You marks a definite musical shift that could see the band broadening their appeal.
Though their collective heart still remains chasing the sun, Puzzles Like You is characterised by a jauntiness and sense of fun that’s been missing from their previous outings and it’s not difficult to second guess where they’re coming from when sporting a song title like “Big Star Baby.” Dreamily and harmoniously languid — voices coalesce beautifully to the backing of steel guitars and strummed major chords — Mojave 3 acknowledge the legacy of Alex Chilton’s doomed band with the same reverence and lightness of touch as Teenage Fanclub.
“Truck Driving Man” grips from the first note as the jangly guitars and Halstead’s breathy vocals suggest a move away from Nashville to the West Coast via Memphis. Utterly immediate, any fears that this may be a one-off are soon allayed with the joyously sprightly title track that beguiles and delights in equal measure. However, Puzzles Like You isn’t a complete departure for Mojave 3.
“You Said It Before”‘s opening line of “…life is funny but we don’t laugh anymore” finds the band in familiarly maudlin territory, while the contemplative “Most Days” is the kind of tears-in-your-beer balladry we’ve come to expect. But it’s difficult to argue that the band haven’t shifted gear when confronted with the upbeat “Breaking the Ice” and it’s this almost relentless desire to show off their new side that lets down “Just a Boy” and “To Hold Your Tiny Toes” as texture is surrendered to formula.
Puzzles Like You suffers slightly from an inconsistent sense of purpose and an over-reliance of a single idea that run out of steam before the album’s conclusion, but such gripes and criticisms are offset when confronted with something as irresistible as “Ghostship Waiting.” Puzzles Like You may not stay the distance but there’s certainly enough here to gain Mojave 3 the wider audience they deserve.