Milton Mapes,
Westernaire

Label: Aspyr
Year: 2003

(3½ out of 5)

Milton Mapes is a band, not a person. While the band's name is unique, its sound really isn't. Milton Mapes blends together elements of Uncle Tupelo and its descendants, Tom Petty, The Catherine Wheel, and even The Counting Crows (regrettably, on "A Thousand Songs About California").

But just because the sound isn't unique doesn't mean that the sound doesn't work.

"Maybe You're Here, Maybe You're Not," perhaps the best song on the album, is a showcase for the multiple talents of vocalist/songwriter Greg Vanderpool. From the Dylan-esque opening harmonica to the wrenching lyrics (I'm burning for something but nothing is healing so I'm running around / I can't even tell you what day it is now / Maybe you're gone, maybe you're not / Maybe you're here, maybe you're not), the song vividly captures the disorienting aftermath of a broken relationship, and the band displays a raw, powerful sound.

"Monahans" is another highlight. This instrumental track blends delicate acoustic guitar and Roberto Sánchez's light percussion in what can only be described as the perfect soundscape for illustrating the desolate nothingness of vast stretches of West Texas highways. Everytime I hear the song I picture the view through the windshield along I-10 or I-20, remembering the constant need to scan the horizon for any hint of urbanity.

The last track, "The Sad Lines," melds the somber lyrical devastation of "Maybe You're Here" with the driving (but this time harder) instrumentation of "Monahans": I missed the grand parade / All that I could think to say was "Bye" ... I heard the yells and screams / And the bells and cheering people like a bad dream / Sometimes the lights are too bright / And no one wants to leave room for the sad lines.

If you're looking for something sunny and upbeat, this ain't it. But if you're looking for Texas's answer to Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Wilco, and other literate yet "foreign" twang-rockers, Austin-based Milton Mapes just might fit the bill. Westernaire is a solid album that sounds better each time I listen to it.

Buy: Amazon

August 10, 2004