Class A Bandits - Mazel Tov Cocktail

Class A Bandits

Mazel Tov Cocktail
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, Class A Bandits is a rock and roll band that recently released a five-song EP entitled Mazel Tov Cocktail. It was a little over a year ago that they formed and  already sound completely refined. The songs are straight up rock songs that are polished and well-written. You will find a surplus of electric guitars, organ, drums, bass and vocals on this album.  The songs are the type that you will most likely enjoy after one listen. Hell, how can you not dig an organ solo? Don't expect to take a breath when you listen to this EP because there isn't one song that doesn't rock hard. 

On the song “Sister Train” maybe you can relax while listening to the sound of a train before you receive a heavy dose of guitars, slamming drums, organ and vocals that sound like they were sung through a Shure 57 and then recorded by mic-ing a guitar amp. The band doesn't take its foot off the pedal much for its six-plus minutes other than the slight breakdown they have around the four-minute mark, which then heads straight into an awesome organ solo. ”Underneath The Streets” has more energy than the first song. The chorus is catchy and it got stuck in my head after the first pass. They repeat the lyrics about 20 times so that might be a reason as well. It should also be stated that the drums were a huge component to this song. They rock when they need to and are the only instrument providing sound besides vocals towards the end of the song. Don’t let the electric piano fool you at the beginning of “Smoke Your Fancy” as it quickly becomes a blues inspired song that has a walking bass line that gets bombarded with distorted guitars. Arguably the hardest song on the album is “Yellow Lights.” However it wasn’t one of the highlights for me. It felt a little too predictable for my taste. The last track, “Ten Feet Tall,” was probably my favorite track. It seems to embody what they do best. I'm telling you that organ and electric guitar are one combination I'm not going to get sick of anytime soon.

For being together for about a year, Class A Bandits’ Mazel Tov Cocktail is mighty impressive. These guys are at work on their full length. I can only imagine it being even better.

Become A Fan

official website