Once upon a time, there was a little band called Flogging Molly who grew up to become one of the most seminal Celtic-rock bands of the twenty-first century. Within the band, there was a boy named Nathen Maxwell, whose musical vision began to evolve and expand as the years went on until one day, in the glorious year of 2009, he took that vision and turned it into ‘Nathen Maxwell & The Original Bunny Gang'.
This side project, signed to Side One Dummy Records, couldn't be more stylistically different from its Celtic-punk-rock roots. The debut album, "White Rabbit," showcases a grounded yet varied, soulful reggae sound, and the sleepy sweetness of Maxwell's voice is anything but Dave King's power-driven, Irish drawl.
And yet, while Maxwell might not (yet) boast the big-scale majesty of his predecessors, The Bunny Gang and "White Rabbit" exist now as testaments to the magnitude of his skill and versatility as a musician, as well as to his deep understanding of the ever-changing currents of life.
So, who is the Original Bunny Gang, exactly?
Nathen's immediate recruit was actually his father – an adept drummer who operates under the moniker ‘Maxwellvision'. And alongside Nathen on guitar and dobro is Ted Hutt, Flogging Molly's famed producer. Outside of this basic tripod, there are also a few appearances made by Matthew Hensley (Flogging Molly's highly-acclaimed accordion player) who lays down the accordion and concertina parts on "White Rabbit," as well as vocal backings by Nicolette Vilar of the pop-punk band Go Betty Go.
But the greatness of "White Rabbit" doesn't rest solely on its all-star cast, for there is definitely something to be said about its overall theme and tonal cohesiveness.
Many—if not all—of the songs on the album speak personally to the self as if they are little melodic reminders to always keep one's head above water no matter how relentlessly it might rise.
From the rueful lament of "Mijo," a piece concerning the oppression of ‘the system', to "Working for the Man," a reassuring-ish song about the paradox of the American Dream, Maxwell speaks with a pointed sensibility that makes it evident he's been through it all. In fact, in an interview for his website, he is quoted saying, "All I've got is music: I've got no plan B, no wealthy family members, and no savings. …But I have these songs…" After imbibing a statement such as this, it becomes obvious that the boy is nothing but honest from start to finish – something I'm sure any music-lover wearied by the times will find infinitely refreshing.
Speaking of honesty, the endearing track "Love You Mad" just might be one of the best obscure love ballads to be born in the last few years, and this is not because it's a blubbering of expected, insincere emotion. It's quite the opposite as it strips down the superficiality of typical love songs to the most basic and earnest concerns of the individuals involved.
Maxwell sings, "I know now things can be said and not meant / and I know now things can be meant and not said / I'd love to learn to live with constant meaning / see through all the pain and the deceiving," before breaking into the incredibly simple but emotionally loaded chorus where the song gets its title.
And to highlight his understanding of song-based story-telling, Maxwell reincorporates these lines later in the song, altering them only slightly but effectively so in order to convey the significance listeners might not have picked up on the first time around, "I know I've said things that I don't mean / And I know you've meant things that you've never said / I'd love to live with you in constant meaning / Free from all the pain and the deceiving."
It doesn't get much more honest than this.
So, with that being said, pick up a copy of Nathen Maxwell's "White Rabbit," and know that it comes highly recommended as a cure for the conscientious music-lover's disenchantment with modern, manufactured melodies. Until then, at least take a page from Maxwell and keep on keeping on.
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