Stands For Delightful-- dB's Holsapple and Stamey's Mavericks



Smart Like A Whip, Shoots From The Hip

 Mavericks is one of those secret albums that I like that seemed to fall under the radar a bit, as if people needed a Freedom of Information Foil to find out about. I picked it up on the basis of a favorable review in some music magazine, but as it turned out, I dug it far more than I had initially expected. It really grew on me. If you are looking for an album of terrific romantic songs in the style of Simon and Garfunkel, that can be picked up inexpensively, this would receive a high recommendation. It is without doubt the best album that I own that has dogs dressed up in party costumes on the back cover.

Mavericks is a 1991 reunion of dB's alumni Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey after nearly ten years. The dB's were a band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina and made two albums Stands for Decibels and Repercussion, after which Stamey left the group. On this reunion album they pick up where they left off and along with a number of friends put together a top notch collection of songs. And this album is the one I return to time and again, although I do own the first three more celebrated dB's albums. (And they are very very good).

I don't know why they called this Mavericks, as there is nothing very outrageous about this collaboration. Just two guys strumming guitars and harmonizing. Though if a sinister defense contracting corp can be named McLennan Forster (see Go-Betweens) on the TV series 24, maybe there is hope for them yet.  But the proof of this album is in the quality of the songs, not the recording budget. All the songs are originals save for the superb pensive version of Here Without You written by Gene Clark of the Byrds. I like ten of the twelve songs on this album very much--the first nine tunes fly by and then there is Lovers Rock, which I'm not crazy about. It sounds like a bad late-period Alex Chilton castoff.

Mavericks opens with the one of the more energetic songs on the album, the infectiously poppy Angels which was the only dual credited song on the album. That is followed by the shambling wistful I Know You Will.
One of my favorites on this album is Close Your Eyes, which is about as romantic a song as you could possibly concoct.

Even Mona Lisa Would Smile

The confusingly titled I Want To Break Your Heart is another uptempo winner--it means I want to break into your heart, rather than I want to hurt you. She Was The One is a sad lovelorn ballad which is complemented by the wonderful cello work of Jane Scarpantoni. I think its the best thing on the album. The song Anymore is a sad folk song, reminiscent of Richard Thompson's work. Geometry actually sounds like it belongs on a dB's album, happy quirky jangly pop.  The Child in You is a nice summery pop song with the great harmonies that are the backbone of this album. Taken is a nice subdued jazzy love letter of a song, but the countryish final tune You Don't Have the Right to Treat Me Wrong is okay but drags on a bit. Overall a nice record though.

It's always a nice thing to hear people make well constructed songs, with solid musicianship to back it up. There's no dazzle here, no smoke and mirrors. Sweet harmonies, poignant lyrics--an album seemingly thrown together in a casual way, but it somehow seems to succeed pretty effortlessly. A few years ago this album was reissued with a few extra tracks, and it is a good thing to see the first three dB's albums back in print again. And the original Mavericks is available used at a very cheap price indeed. In fact, Holsapple and Stamey released a followup last year, entitled Here and Now, which is currently on my wish list. So far no new dB's records, though there have been some rumors of activity. In summation, Mavericks is a nice record that would definitely satisfy the sweet tooth of any lover of hook friendly acts such as Tommy Keene, R.E.M., or the Go-Betweens.