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Review of Second Skin from www.thelocalplanet.com. The Mayfield Four Genre: Alternative Rock The Mayfield Four are Spocant's trivia answer to "What band has ever been signed out of this jerk-water town?" And how did they do it? They were handpicked from separate groups, then clocked a reeling demo in only 30 hours. Epic Records eventually bit vocal hook, line, and sinker, and the rest is oft-told local folklore. At the time of the deal, guitarist Craig Johnson proclaimed, "It's a golden opportunity to get our music out; it's what we've dreamed of for years and worked at. Hopefully it's going to be one hell of a ride." After uttering these words, his heart bursting with unfettered ambition and childlike glee, Johnson predictably left/got kicked out (pick your rumor), leaving the Mayfield Four minus one. Regardless, Myles Kennedy, Zia Uddin and Marty Meisner are back on the scene and full of beans, proffering a new release called Second Skin. The first track leaps out and declares its necessity by building toward, and then rupturing into, a Mount St. Helens chorus which bellows, "Let's go, let's feel, let's fuck around," right away dispelling any comparison to suck-up-Sally acts with pronounced cheekbones like Creed. The whole album reeks of unbridled, bubbling musical energy, and an optimistic approach to songwriting keeps their creative capital fully funded. Second Skin is a heartfelt recording that will no doubt be a ubiquitous presence on numerous radio stations. The only obstacle facing Mayfield Four in their quest for iconic status is the unavoidable lawsuit they will face when Chris Cornell hears Kennedy's duplicate voice inflection. Luckily, you can't patent a vocal pitch...yet. |