Although guitarist and front man Matthew Henry Baron, whose initials comprise the band’s name, has played in a number of popular bands in the Chicago area, Sparks Are Going To Fly is his debut as a leader. And sparks definitely do fly! This is music that could kick any party into overdrive. MHB is a smoking hot band that blends elements of funk, rock, blues, and reggae into a spicy soul-infused gumbo that smolders and burns.
It’s always interesting to read how bands perceive their music and the comparisons they make regarding it. On the MHB website they describe it as having “the passion of Bob Marley, the groove of Jack Johnson, the energy of James Brown, and the feel of Eric Clapton.” While I can see the validity of those references there are a few others that came to mind for me while listening. Perhaps it is the tone of Matthew’s voice that reminded me at times of Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as Elvis Costello on occasion, and perhaps Dave Matthews. There were also instances with the band’s horn section that recalled the furious funk of Tower Of Power. But while there are various influences and reference points, the music is completely original with all of the songs written by Matthew Henry Baron.
Accompanying Matthew is a full band of highly skilled musicians that includes bassist James T. Bromley, Daryl Coutts on keyboards, drummer Rob Van Daal, Michael Whalen on drums, percussion, and backup vocals, Sean Kelly and Jason Litwin on percussion, Nicole Garza on back up vocals, Eric Koppa and Steve Kelly on saxophones, and with the coolest name in the group, on trombone, Johnny Showtime. Lead guitar on “Someone Like You” was by Peter Muschong, and Jim Croke played the lead guitar on “Get On.”
In some ways, the album seems to unfold in chapters defined by geography or genre. The book opens in Jamaica with a bouncy Ska groove on “Someone Like You.” Slinky Middle Eastern-sounding guitar lines add an exotic flair to the tune. The song had a cool ending where the tempo gradually slowed down and some spacey vocal processing was added, before things finally came to a stop, like a car running out of gas.
The next song, “I Better” continues the island flavor with an up-tempo reggae number that features a nice organ solo from Daryl Coutts.
With song three, “Get On,” things migrate north and start to get funky – very funky, as the horn section kicks off in a style that reminded me of the famous band that bears the name of the town that MHB calls home- Chicago. The next song, the unusually titled “Blanket On Leather,” starts with a guitar and drum groove that had a vibe of Graceland-era Paul Simon, although comparisons to The Dave Matthews Band would probably not be too far off. The funk and soul influences remain strong on the next four songs until we get to track nine, “The Best That I Can.” From that point, the following three songs open another chapter in the MHB musical playbook with some boogie-woogie and jump blues style. The album closes with “Here You Go,” an up-tempo rocker that admonishes: “This is your day; see what you can find, outside your window. Now, now, now, now don’t delay, pick yourself out of your misery won’t you. “ The aforementioned reference to Eric Clapton is probably most evident on this song with its stinging bluesy lead guitar and Layla-like slow ending.
It was hard not to be impressed with Matthew’s voice, which can best be described as “soulful.” The band who is super tight provide him with groove after groove to showcase his vocal and guitar chops on, as well as producing many standout solos in their own right. The MHB website offers a selection of live concert videos that show them in action – definitely worth checking out.
Review by Michael Diamond
