Spotlight Album Review: The Mammals "Nonet"

The Mammals were born around 2002 as a five-member band led by Mike Merenda, Ruth Ungar, and Tao Rodriguez Seeger, mixing string band instruments with a folk-rock sensibility. After three albums, Tao decamped for New Orleans, while Mike and Ruthy, a married musical couple based in the Woodstock area, carried on as a duo for four albums. In 2018 they resurrected the Mammals name with their fine Sunshiner album, and now return with the equally fine Nonet.

“Nonet” is a musical term for a nine-person ensemble (think Miles Davis or Lee Konitz). In the case of The Mammals, it’s not a turn toward jazz; but by gathering such a large crew in the studio the album has a richer, more varied sound. The lead track, Ruthy’s “Coming Down Off Summer,” has a late ‘60s psychedelic Jefferson Airplane/Grateful Dead vibe which uses festival laminates as a symbol of summer’s end. That’s followed by “Radio Signal,” a rocker by Mike with a metaphor I can relate to, about looking for answers in the wind.

One of my favorite songs is “If You Could Hear Me Now,” written by Mike but sung by Ruthie, which conveys deep thoughts in a classic folk vein reminiscent of “Boots of Spanish Leather.”   “What It All Is” addresses time and politics with a pedal steel guitar underpinning. “Beyond Civilization” speaks of a dream of flying that echoes “American Tune,” and “You Can Come to My House” issues an invitation that may have to wait till after the pandemic.

Ruthy’s “California” is an ode to the Golden State with a driving pulse that could accompany you down Highway 101, while her “East Side West Side” has a groove and a Guthrie-inspired environmental chorus (“If this land is your land/If this land is mine/Then let’s not leave it dirty/For the ones that come behind”).  Beyond the 10 strong original songs on Nonet, the album contains a bonus five-song EP which includes “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” and Bob Dylan’s “Let Me Die in My Footsteps.”

Overall, it’s a testament to the community The Mammals embrace:  the musicians who lent their talents to the recording; the listeners who connect to the music and the inclusive message of social justice and environmental stewardship; the fans who follow them at festivals like Clearwater and The Hoot. As Mike and Ruthy have become parents of Willy and Opal, they’ve expanded their musical family in meaningful ways.