There aren’t any awards for Best Side Project Band, but if there were Mini Mansions woudl definitely be in with a chance: singer/bassist Michael Shulman is also of Queens Of The Stone Age, Tyler Parkford plays keys for the Arctic Monkeys and bass Zach Dawes moonlights either here or there in The Last Shadow Puppets.
This is clearly both a pedigree and a millstone of expectation, but on A Guy Walks Into A Bar the trio keep it simple and go largely without any obvious nods to their parent outfits. The backdrop is a now broken relationship of Dawes, covered in detail from first flush to post break up guilt.
At it’s best – the thudding I’m In Love and duet with Kills Alison Mosshart Hey Lover – there’s a real appetite for the subject matter, a sort of Dear Diary turned into ferocious pop for those with more funk than conscience. They shouldn’t think about giving up their day jobs just yet, but A Guy Walks Into A Bar is a declaration of independence that more than justifies Mini Mansions as a thing in itself.
You can read the full review here.
The Voice Of Unreason 