Mother's Green

If we were to set the way back machine to 1994, Mother's Green would be mega-popular, alongside Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots and the like. However, the ensuing decades have not hampered these wily Ontarians' sound, headed by flannel-flyin' vocalist/guitarist March Giaccari. Following their self-titled debut in 2008, Swimming in the Sun is definitely no sophomore jinx: alt-rock and stoner tendencies coalesce into hard-driving tunes with ultra-catchy hooks. As if John Garcia were fronting Soundgarden, the title track and "Observation for the Day" channel equal numbers of Seattle and desert grooves for unabashed sing-alongs. "Just Another" and "The Antidote" reprise said throb, compliments of the breakneck cruise-control underpinnings of bassist Mike Simpson and drummer Dean Glover. Enhancing most cuts with congas, percussionist Greg Noguera adds a palpable I Mother Earth vibe to the Corrosion of Conformity-esque "A Night in Complete Awe." The album does require several listens to surmount the off-putting nature of the acoustic tracks' interspersion, but it is here where Giaccari flawlessly invokes Chris Cornell, and the exemplary "Catching Existence" shimmers both with Giacarri's pipes and his echoing guitar tones. Bonus track "Tattoos Leave Scars" follows the sonic path of Sabbath's "Planet Caravan." Expertly mastered by Alan Douches (one of metal's top engineers) at West West Side Music, Swimming in the Sun will propel Mother's Green to the top of playlists of old Soundgarden and Deliverance-era COC fans.