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Six years after the release of their debut, 'Somewhere Between Here And Mocksville', the Mockers announce their return to the fray in dynamic fashion with the rumbling, John Entwistle-like bass intro to More Important Things, the opening track here. Their Mike Mazzarella produced debut was certainly no slouch, but its sequel has definitely been worth the long wait. Mitch Easter is in charge of production duties this time around on all but a brace of tracks which were handled by the equally talented, almost as ubiquitous these days, Brad Jones. The Mockers unbridled enthusiasm for classic, predominantly British pop music, adapted and infused into their own material, is an infectious listening experience for which there may be no remedy. The songwriting duties are split between Seth Gordon and Tony Leventhal with each singing lead on their own material, which is another appealingly contrasting ingredient. Combining the melodic sensibilities of the Beatles and the Kinks with the energy of the Who and the Small Faces, the Mockers brave persistence in the face of relative apathy should be loudly applauded. Combined with their own undeniable talent, their ambition to boldly drag pop music into the 21st Century might yet reap them rewards. With 'Living In The Holland Tunnel' they're more than adequately tooled up for the job.

Geraint Jones
CWAS #9 - Winter 2002

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