The Maldives

Listen to the Thunder

(Mt. Fuji)

Record Review by Marcel Feldmar

I know nothing about this band, at all. Put the CD in, hit play, and I’m instantly hit by what sounds like some big band Neil Young riffing Band of Horses admiring indie.country southern rock renaissance.

Where am I?

Looks like there are nine people in this band, and as far as I can tell by the picture, only two of them look like they aren’t influenced by CCR. This ain’t actually a bad thing, but curious. Comprised of the members of about eight different Seattle bands, the Maldives have plowed straight into the heart of country, which happens to be beating quite loud in Seattle.

So, yeah, I should know these names, these alt.cowboy cats. The only name that hits all familiar at first glance, though, is Seth Warren, who you might recognize from such sounds as Red Stars Theory, Bugs In Amber, Rocky Votolato, and even a little Sleater-Kinney. You can call him Mister Violin, and in these songs, it’s a perfect instrument that catches between playful and mournful, and always balanced on the notes between. Okay, so who else you got?

We got…

• Ryan McMackin
• Chris Zasche
• Tomo Nakayama
• Jason Dodson
• Kevin Barrans
• Tim Gadbois
• Chris Warner
• Jesse Bonn

A few too many people there to start playing musical detective right now, but please, feel free to research the above names on your own time. A couple of quick hits, and we learn that Tomo plays with Grand Hallway, Jason was influenced at an early age by Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and the Rolling Stones, Kevin rages on the accordion, and while the stage gets fairly crowded, the tunes remain fairly calm and collected. Although a bottle of rye whiskey would go nice with this particular listening.

The Neil Youngishness of this CD is hard to get by, but there are also some nice hits that move somewhere between Wilco and the Band. I know that’s a fairly large space to drive around in, but the Maldives drive it pretty straight.