Taking Flight

Sometimes all it takes is a name change to give a band the extra push to success. Originally called What About Frank?, the Parlor Mob changed their name to give themselves a more rock and roll persona, one that they flaunt well on their latest album And You Were a Crow. Traveling back to the days of dueling guitars and rock anthems, Parlor Mob channels classic rock gods to create homage to the times that were.

And You Were a Crow is a pure rock album. You can just see them performing somewhere at a festival, drunken blondes in the front taking off their shirts, men with extensive hair and AC/DC shirts head-banging to the thrash. This may sound dire, save for the topless women, but that’s what Parlor Mob excels at. You can imagine guitarists Dave Rosen and Paul Ritchie on stage back to back, playing together in perfect harmony on the track ‘Everything You’re Breathing For’, while Nick Villapiano nods along to the steady hammer he produces on his bass and drummer Sam Bey batters his cymbals with such force that it’s frightening. The images the band inspires through their album are nothing small scale. Mark Melicia’s voice might not typically be associated with 60s and 70s rock, but the passion that’s within it when he sings ‘When I Was an Orphan’ is undeniable. All this band needs are some fireworks erupting behind them, and you’ve got a great rock show.

The only thing that Parlor Mob needs to stray from is the classic rock curse. Revival bands are great, especially when done well, but there also needs to be some room for personal style. And You Were a Crow shows that the band has a distinct style, but they still rely heavily on classic influences to make the album something more. ‘Tide of Tears’ is by far one of the stand-out tracks on the album, but it calls upon Led Zeppelin’s ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ a bit too much to make is distinctly Parlor Mob. The potential is there in And You Were a Crow, now Parlor Mob just needs to see it grow.

Amy Dittmeier