Mambo Sons, the name of which is derived from the T-Rex song 'Mambo Sun', are an energetic and lighthearted rock and roll threesome. The band is Scott Lawson on bass and lead vocals, Tom Guerra on guitar and vocals, and Joe Lemieux on drums. They've gone through minor personnel changes since the beginning, yet the two core members, Tom and Scott, have been polishing their brand of garage rock and roll for over two decades.

Racket Of Three is their third CD release, following Mambo Sons in 1999 and Play Some Rock & Roll in 2002. I find all of them quite interesting, mainly because each possesses a persona of its own. Music has a tendency to evoke past influences, and the songs of the Mambo Sons are heavily inspired; however, they appear to have eliminated their Stones connection in the latest release, one noticeable character carried over from the first CD to the second. These types of songs are fine, as Tom Guerra's chunky rhythms are a lot like Keith's, yet he appears to have settled into a sound and style all his own here. Maybe the CDs predominantly acoustic trait is responsible for that. Tom's an extremely versatile and tuneful guitar player, a fine acoustic player as well. Though the music within is fairly rocked up, and the lead guitar has great electric tone, the CD does rely heavily on acoustic guitar.

On the deep end, Scott Lawson's bass playing is melodic and full. His vocal ability is somewhat sluggish and careless, yet always tuneful and pleasingly listenable, an effectiveness that's associated with only the finest rock singers. Think John Lennon and you'll get my gist. Both longtime players appear to compliment each other perfectly, as the music comes together in a tight and fine-tuned mesh of melody. After performing a cameo role on the first CD, Joe 'The Cat', Lemieux returned to the drum stool in the new one. Joe is well known throughout the northeast US for his rock-solid, versatile playing. To top it off nicely, Matt Zeiner of the Dickey Betts Band filled in on piano and Hammond B-3 on a few of the flavorful cuts.

Racket Of Three wastes no time launching into a rocking start, the intro song being the title of their second CD, 'Play Some Rock & Roll'. This soulful number has some scorching lead guitar on it. 'Valentine' is a resourceful soft rocker. In my opinion, this would be an excellent choice for a radio play single. Tom's descending chordal arrangement, done on acoustic, is incredibly creative. Acoustic resonance persists in the next tune, 'Man Of Steel', as well. While Tom plays a satisfying Latin-esque solo midway through 'Brandy On The Shelf', Scott's bass playing is phenomenal on this one. 'Be On Time' is flowing with guitar textures, especially the descending lead run, which was put through a Vibratone. A crunchy rock rhythm begins 'Sindwinder Walk'. This is a driving, rocked-up number, emphasizing Tom's diversity on the instrument. 'You Broke My Mind' is an interesting ditty, suggestive of early Beatles (Lennon), more acoustic brilliance as well. The lead solo, reminiscent of Harrison's Gretsch supplemented with a surf element, is actually a Gibson ES300 through a '66 Vibrolux. A real nice touch. 'Delta Slide' is a bluesy melody, in which Tom plays slide on the dobro. 'Rummy Hop' is a party song, done in a live setting. The album's closer, 'Safe With Me', was written years ago. It's a pleasant song about reminiscing over old vinyl records.

All of the songs on the CD have catchy and likable melodies; there really isn't a bad one in the lot. Supposedly, they had twenty songs ready to choose from, but chose the twelve that fit the CD best. I think 'Racket Of Three' is outstanding party rock. It's a CD that would easily put a smile on anyone's face, regardless of musical taste. I wouldn't settle just for this one, though, as the other two releases are worth owning as well.

Tom Guerra plays Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters, a 1956 Les Paul TV Special, a 1959 LP Reissue, a 1963 Gibson ES300 with a factory Bigsby, a 1963 Gibson ES330, a 1930s Dobro 90, a 1954 Les Paul Custom, a Brian Moore guitar, and Gibson J45 and J200 acoustics. Amps: a 50-watt small-box Marshall, a 22 watt DST-Engineering UV6, a Fender Vibratone, a Blockhead 18 First Born, a Fender '66 Vibrolux Reverb, and more.

Scott Lawson plays a Danelectro Longhorn Bass through a Hartke 4x10 Transporter when playing live. For the CD, in the band's website, he states: "I simply plugged the Danelectro into a SansAmp direct box, handed the line out to Tom, and played non-stop through all of the songs."

Joe Lemieux plays Gretsch maple drums.

Racket Of Three:

1. Play Some Rock & Roll! (She's Comin' Over)

2. Valentine

3. Man of Steel

4. Brandy on the Shelf

5. Be On Time

6. Sidewinder Walk

7. You Broke My Mind

8. Delta Slide

9. Mr. Rebound

10. Rummy Hop

11. Been Outta Touch

12. Safe With Me

All songs written by Tom Guerra and Scott Lawson

Links
Mambo Sons
Racket of Three on Amazon.com
Guitar Nine Records