Mohawk Lodge Rare Birds. Release Date : July, 2004. Label: White Whale Records. Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. This is nice music, very cabin-country, acoustic and dreamy. He enjoys what he's doing. It's soft gentle happy roadtripping music. I mean, it just sounds like warmth and friendship. There's oodles of guitars duelling back and forth, and the claps at the end of track one are awesome. It's like being in a cozy cabin on a lake with all your buds, jamming out late into the night. "Traitors And Knives" starts sounding evil (and with a title like that, is it any wonder?), and he sings of violent and passionate lovers. Really interesting poetic lyrics rolling through this one. It sounds like an impending explosion. I really dig this music. It's deepseated. The vocals are pure and real, not overdone or too singsongy... They're as raw as the music and as true as the words. Many little bits and pieces of instruments pop up to make it just cool. A vicious tambourine, quick claps, a tickle of an acoustic guitar riff over everything else. "This Is What It's For" is so nice. What's going on, is someone dropping pens? He's got a bit of Hayden droll, but less downtrodden. It just retains all of the pleasant and down-home elements. Yeah that's it, it feels like home. Nothing like a good Ebow bit too! Just for good measure of course. "Sister" has a big jamout at the end. It's earthy and rich and rough around the edges but totally totally heartfelt. Song of choice : "Making Music" takes it for me. -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Mohawk Lodge website Published : February, 2005.