On their latest album, DO5, Winnipeg’s Mahogany Frog seems to be aiming for a psychedelic bombardment of the senses. From the eye-catching, if somewhat visually overwhelming, cover art to the opening track’s initial burst of searing guitar noise, this album rejects nearly all notions of subtlety and instead revels in creating a dense cacophony of sound. However, if one listens closely enough there are moments of understated beauty to be found buried amidst the feedback and glitchy electronics. One of the best examples of this occurs on the third track, “Last Stand at Fisher Farm,” which features great horn section that could add some interesting depth to the album if used in more songs instead of being drowned out by distortion and synths. “You’re Meshugah!,” on the other hand, is damn near anthemic and probably as close as these guys come to writing a full-fledged pop song. It sports a simple yet dangerously catchy breakdown towards the end of the song – yes, handclaps and all – and shows how strong the band can be when they stick to the basics instead of getting too caught up with overrought electronic wizardry. The musicians demonstrate obvious technical proficiency on “Demon Jigging Spoon,” almost coming off like some wildly chaotic version of the Sun City Girls with its sparse yet intricate guitar melodies; this track is another one that benefits from a more understated style. Mahogany Frog loses few points for bravery; their mélange of fuzzed-out electronics, psychedelic guitar rock, and jazzy drumming techniques deserves kudos for its originality and passion. However, the quartet might benefit from a more cohesive and focused style instead of getting sidetracked noodling with their vintage synths and distortion pedals. Or who knows – maybe I just need drugs to enjoy DO5 at its full effect.

By Joni Sadler
Sep 11, 2008