Are you ready to go on a musical and lyrical journey? Step into the sound of Hot Spoon, Cold Mango, and their newest release Paws on Ears. Paws on Ears is a mega-album of 18 stand-out tracks, that take the listener on an adventure. The band self-describes their genre as “Motion Vision,” which they define as “Easy Listening for weary Space Travelers.” The song titles alone will take you on a journey, but step into the music…it is definitely a unique sound that is both easy to listen to, adventurous, epic, and great for time and space travelers.
The first minute of the record sets up the listener for what to expect throughout. We hear grand pianos, a soundscape of musical instruments that bleeds emotion and grandiosity. We hear a slow build that pulls the listener in, lets them leave this world, and enter the world of Hot Spoon, Cold Mango. “A Beckoning Please Of A Call For Bears” becomes busy at the 2-minute mark, with electronic beats, pulsating synths and pianos, as it continues to build and build before becoming quiet again. We pause and rest for a moment before “Amongst the Roots of Trees.” Strings and pianos enter the speakers in a lullaby fashion, moving the listener, and bringing in the centering feeling of warmth. The slides on the synths and strings bring on a feeling of movement but in a slow and soothing way. The song feels healing to the body.
The next track has one of the most unique song titles we have ever heard, “A Cows Stands Guard Protecting Their Llamas.” The track starts off slowly, setting the scene, painting a portrait in the mind just from musical sounds. We hear gorgeous pianos before the song builds with a captivating drum beat. We hear both chaos and warmth in this song, mimicking the truth of nature and all living beings around us. “Drooping of Willow Trees Atop The Burrow of Rabbit” is another fascinating song title. This song shows us another side of musicianship. This song is centered around darkness and intensity. It’s a flip of the coin from the first three songs. The song mellows out towards the end, leading us smoothly into “First Dance of Eight Paws.” This song feels triumphant. The pianos and horns together bring on a grand feeling for all who listen. The sound completely takes over the body and mind.
“Flower Picking Pink Elepppppphants” is driven by a heavy bass sound and echoing drum beat before building into a mind-blowing synthscape. This song takes many twists and turns, continuing the epic journey for the listener. The intensity ebbs and flows throughout the song as well, and calms down by the song’s end. The energy is picked up again by “Fly With Me My Lover Fennec.” Happy sounding synths are prominent throughout this song. There is a feeling of warmth provided by the strings and cymbals. There is also a sense of romantic attraction throughout the sounds of this track.
“Forgotten Fables in Dusty Attics of Abandoned Buildings” introduces some new sounds into the mix. We are a marimba type sound, which feels expansive to the album. Flowing pianos ring throughout the track while synth pads create a bed of warmth and peaceful vibes. The song feels very meditative and again, healing. We move on to “Fox Betrothed The Cat.” We hear a somber energy on this song and also a meditative energy. This song is somber, yet very peaceful. Horns start of in a rallying cry on “Grazing on Mushrooms and Sweet Grass Of Morning Dew Meadows.” We hear some jazzy piano chords and live drums on this song, making this song one of the most musically stand out songs on the record. It’s also the most epic in length, being almost 8 minutes long. The entire song is a soul journey, that takes on many different sounds, while horns slowly and soulfully play. The brief breaks in the music adds to the intensity and captivating nature of this song. “I Am Not Afraid of You Penguins Anymore” also features jazzy horn sections and drum grooves. This song is just as gorgeous as the last. The pace picks up a bit. The next song starts with an alluring drum beat that sounds like the rhythm of a heart beat. “The Lovely Hippopotamus Sings For Her Lover Europa Von Mouse.” The jazzy sounds continue and they are absolutely gorgeous. The bass line is a centerpiece on this song. The rest of the instrumentation seems to move around it. “Ramblings of Regenerative Rabbits” perfectly follows, bringing on a more cheerful feel to the music while keeping up with the jazz inspiration. Definitely don’t miss the horn solos on this track!
“She Said It Was A Duck” starts off with fast-paced pianos, building on the track and building up the emotion of the record. This song features catchy piano and synth moments throughout it’s 3 minute and 32 second run. It features more jazzy elements towards the end as it slows into a piano ballad soundscape, leading us into “Sketching In A Photogram of Worlds.” This song brings on more of an experimental feel than the previous few tracks, bringing the record to a similar place of where it started, thus keeping the record connected as a whole. “Walk to Find Trees” becomes even more experimental with its synth sounds and drum patterns. This song brings on a peaceful feeling in its instrumentation. “Withdrawing of Claws” sounds like the end of a journey. We understand that we were on an adventure that was filled with chaos, massive amounts of emotion, ebbs and flows, ups and downs, battles and triumphs. This track lets us know that things end peacefully. We count our wins and move forward. The finale track is “Zoologist Leave For The Evening”, allowing everyone to rest for the night, end their journey momentarily, and be ready for what the next day will bring. The horns on this song are absolutely incredible and are my favorite of the record. Don’t miss it!
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Written by Ryan Cassata
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