Mandias packed the Shredder on February 17th to celebrate the release of their debut album Take the Care You’re Never Given, accompanied by shoegazers Rat Champion and eardrum obliterator Tyrus Newell. They christened the new record with a torrent of passion over a hungry audience. Their stage presence was awesome, their music is well crafted and original, and the album itself is a masterpiece that deserves to be recognized as a definitive step in Treasure Valley’s musical evolution.
Mandias get better every time I see them. The first was at the Junction Rift Festival last June, where they went on early and played a short set. They became one of my favorite live acts when they headlined CRLB on New Year’s Eve, with much more practice and much more material. This release party at the Shredder was so good that I could picture it happening at a stadium. They played the entire album plus an encore without ever letting up on the gas, fueled by hard-earned pride in their music.
When Maddie Musheno gets down on her knees and screams into a telephone, the emotions pierce like a knife and you know that you’re watching someone who should be on a stage every night for the rest of her life. Her lyrics are deep, her voice is angelic, her rants are vitriolic, and she leads the stage like a colonel in lace. Behind her, two guitars and a bass (all formerly of Ruff Pups) bring the music with a grungey groove. The tone alone holds enough punk rock attitude to carry this whole scene, but then they had to set it to some of the catchiest riffs ever written. Cade’s battery brings up the rear with some serious horsepower, and you’ve got a crew that you’d have to be stupid to miss.
Trade the venue for a pair of speakers and you’ll still be impressed. Take the Care You’re Never Given offers a little extra with interludes by Maddie’s dad, to whom the album is dedicated. Using a handy trick called “brilliant songwriting,” each track is stark departure from the last while keeping all the elements that make this band special. Take Care flows like a river of love while Atlas Machine chugs like a broken tractor. The production is great, too; despite tons of fuzz, you can hear everything crystal clear.
Take the Care is stoner rock, but it’s also grunge, but it’s also punk as fuck. It’s all sorts of things, but above all it’s truly original rock n’ roll. I’ve never heard anything quite like it. I can’t wait to hear more. I’ll be humming these riffs until their next album gives me something new to hum. You can stream Take the Care You’re Never Given everywhere, and make sure to see Mandias live at Treefort (3/25, 5:20p-6:10p, Hound Lot). ■
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