When the Mike Montrey Band, known for their dynamic fusion of Americana and Rock & Soul, set out to craft their latest album, Love, Time & Mortality, they did more than just record songs—they encapsulated the essence of life’s relentless march through poignant musical narratives. Mike Montrey, the band’s frontman and principal songwriter, possesses a distinct ability to weave personal tales with broader philosophical musings, a craft honed over more than two decades of songwriting and performing across the United States.
On the surface level, you get a classic Americana sound, steered by acoustic guitar, upright bass, and fiddle, with a dash of pedal steel, organ, and harmonies. Montrey, who self-produced the album, wanted it to sound like walking through a field of wildflowers in late spring on a grass plain somewhere in America, in shimmering sunlight. Anchored by his gruff, emotive vocals and dexterous acoustic guitar work, an intoxicating sonic brew laced with world-weary wisdom and poetic storytelling unfolds. It is an ambitious, thematically rich exploration of the human condition itself – dissecting those inescapable abstractions we all grapple with from the moment we enter this world. Love, time, mortality – those eternal forces constantly shaping our chaos, joy, despair, and everything in between.
Take the opener, “Stained Glass Window Panes,” a wistful remembrance of Montrey’s late mother and her love of colored glass reflecting life’s beauty and fragility. Over an upbeat melody, Montrey’s craggy baritone transports you directly into his childhood home as he sings, “I used to ask you what you needed more / Extra money or a hand in yours / But you’d just say to me you needed time / Before you’d tell me with your hand in mine.” It’s a poignant opener that encapsulates the entire album’s messy humanity and quest for truth.
Then there’s the carpe diem ethos, which epitomizes the vintage-sounding “Fortune Teller” – a mid-tempo fiddle ballad that embraces life’s ephemeral thrills instead of perpetually pining for what could be. Montrey sings, “There’s about a million ways that you can move in and out of this scene / But one day we’re all gonna meet the maker / So you could settle down somewhere and think about what you’ve seen, or you can get a move on, and chase the chaser.”
But Montrey doesn’t just lament about death and the past. No, he’s got a romantic streak, too, captured exquisitely on the shimmering “Holdin’ on to Nothin’” – A candlelit duet with longtime singing partner Jen Augustine – the track distills love’s perennial push-and-pull into an achingly intimate conversation: “Holdin’ on to nothin’ / Still holdin’ on to you / Lookin’ for the money / That we blew through / They say it serves you right / You should’ve run like hell / But I got reasons to hold on still / I’m holdin’ on to nothin’ / Still holdin’ on to you.”
The album production shuns over-polished aesthetics for a more grounded, organic feel. This choice underscores the themes of authenticity and impermanence that run through the album. The engineering work by Adam Vaccarelli not only captures, but enhances the spontaneous bursts of creativity that occurred during the recording sessions.
At his core, the introspective 47-year-old Montrey is the prototypical road-worn artist who has lived enough life to pour those experiences into his craft with uncompromising honesty. From passing family members, going through a divorce, having a child, and starting a business running music programs for adults with disabilities, adulthood’s joys and tests have all etched their marks into his soul over the last turbulent decade-plus.
In terms of legacy, Montrey has been a fixture in the music scene long enough to avoid clichés about musical journeys; his work speaks for itself. His previous collaborations with names like Grammy-winning producers Jim Scott and Marc Swersky brought different flavors to his music. However, with Love, Time & Mortality, Montrey brings us into his most personal songwriting yet.
Aided by an impeccable cast of musicians, like pedal steel wizard Jack Stanton and upright bassist Mike Noordzy, vocalist Jen Augustine, Santo Rizzolo on drums, violinist Nicole Scorsone, and John Ginty on Hammond B3 organ, Vintage Vibe, and piano, every passage hits with uncanny human warmth and intimacy. Just absorb the gorgeous closer “Emotionally Yours,” where Montrey’s gruff baritone wraps itself around Bob Dylan’s timeless melody like a long-lost relative sharing sage advice by the fireside.
In the end, Montrey emerges as that song’s namesake – an emotionally rich storyteller baring his soul and psyche in a brutally honest fashion. Love, Time & Mortality is his State of the Human Condition address, confronting our deepest strifes and joys without filter or copious arty pretense getting in the way.
Mike Montrey Band has not only produced an album but also crafted a sonic exploration of life’s inevitable chapters. As Montrey himself puts it, this record is a “print of what filtered through my heart and soul made by beautiful people who happen to be fantastic musicians.” As listeners, we’re not just hearing another album; we’re privy to a soul laid bare, underscored by the universal experiences of love, time, and the realization that everything eventually comes to an end.
PREVIOUS PRESS
“Mike Montrey and his cohorts in his namesake outfit are one of New Jersey’s best current exports, turning out high-caliber songwriting and rootsy musicianship for a world lacking enough of the former and practically bereft of the latter.” – Medium
“Mike Montrey Band can slide from buoyancy to lament in the space of a few seconds. High-spirited melodies and exploratory musicianship keep this [group] from settling anywhere near easy classification.” – Relix Magazine
Montrey does that with his new masterpiece, John Street, but particularly flexes his Young muscles with the help of sought-after session player Dave Pearlman on pedal steel and dobro.” – NJArts
“A stunning Americana sound also heard on Mike’s 2018 masterpiece, John Street, which won him the Makin Waves Male Artist of the Year Award.” – The Aquarian
“This new record is chock-full of promising & optimistic messages, which we could all use right now! This album offers plenty of heart, soul and fine musicianship all around.” – Skope Magazine
“Mike Montrey, and his eponymous band don’t mind showing us the way with their latest performance, which is already being heralded as one of the smarter cuts of its kind to debut on record store shelves this summer.” – Indie Pulse Music