Full credit to New York based rock and rollers Mannix. Not content to just write, record and release a normal 10 track album, they've gone the whole hog and made a 2 disc 'rock and roll drama' - otherwise known as a concept album. Now you may think that concept albums are purely the domain of hoary old prog rockers recycling the same old tired format again and again, but 'Come To California' turns that notion on it's head.
It's by no means perfect, and does take a few listens to really get into it, but with a blend of simple, stripped down pop-rock with a truly American flavour this album boasts a lot of character, not to mention a fair proportion of good tunes.
Disc One charts the decision the album's lead character takes to switch coasts and head west, and the layered harmonies and gentle melody of the opening title track tells its own story. At once, the trademark of a Joe Mannix song leaps out, with a real roots rock sound and hooks that gradually draw the listener in, and 'Heard You Got Home' and 'Flag and My Flower' are prime examples of this.
The moment of epiphany where the character decides to make plans to move comes in the rocking 'Take My Blues Away'. It really is the laziest comparison of them all, but there's no escaping Joe Mannix's vocal similarity to a certain Paul McCartney on this track. It's also clear that Joe Mannix has also found musicians who can really put his vision of an album such as this into practice.
Things slow down with the starkly effective acoustic balladry of 'Feel The Way I Do' and one of the Caleb Southern produced tracks, 'Highway Lines' closes disc one in superb rocking fashion, as California beckons.
As the brilliant 'Go West' opens up disc two there's no let up in quality, and if anything, the songs just get better. Although 16 songs in total may initially seem excessive, each one of them is perfectly valid, and the haunting 'Sunset and Vine', Bluesy 'Tired Of thinking Of You' and the odd Country and Western tinge here and there bring a welcome diversity amongst the fine jangle pop rock of the majority of the songs.
Things close with 'Leave The Past Behind', where our hero realises that life is more than just a journey west or east - and if the philosophical message of the song - and the album as a whole - leave you cold, the melodies certainly won't.
As such, this isn't really an album to dip in and out of; you'll want to savour it all in one go, and writing this in the dreary, grey surroundings of dear old England, the prospect of a trip to California is made ever more enticing with each listen to this very rewarding album (Dude let me just tell you a British accent in California opens doors and other things! - ED).

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