The Saturday Knights Mingle

With strains of soul, rock and punk implanted into their cheery goof-off mix, Seattle’s the Saturday Knights forsake fluidity for an open house party on Mingle. A wide array of indie rock and seasoned R&B musicians augment an inconsistent but promising full-length debut. "45” features famed Sub Pop producer Jack Endino on drums, while Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil lays into a guitar solo on the early Beastie Boys rock rap excursion "I Go.” "Dog Park” is an odd joke-y track that recalls P.M. Dawn and "Foreign Affair” is something of a tribute/come on to Amy Winehouse. The band’s sudden shifts into beach blanket rock on "Mutt’ and "Surf Song” seem like clumsy attempts at matching the subtle stylization of Gnarls Barkley, which is odd because they nail the reverent soul angle on songs like "Motorin’” and even bring in the Dap Kings for "Patches,” which, surprise, surprise, proves to be Mingle’s highlight. (Light In The Attic)

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