Los Goutos’ new release Mighty combines layers of musicality in an amalgamation of styles — you might call it old timey folk-rock with mariachi influences. The Boston-based Americana band is 7-members strong with a big, energizing sound that lives up to its album name: Mike Eigen on vocals (drums on “Can’t Hurt”); Chris Gleason on vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass; Paul Stewart: on vocals, accordion, piano, harmonica, guitars; Bruce Bartone on electric guitar, bass, organ and backing vocals; Shamus Feeney on acoustic guitar, slide guitar, banjo, and bass. And Emily Grogan on vocals, acoustic guitar, and saxophone; with Eddie Barrett on trumpet. And if those are not enough layers of sound for you, there are also guests: Mike Levesque on drums and Jakub Trasak on fiddle.
Including horn and saxophone, and sometimes mandolin and an accordion, the songs all throughout the album are festive and bright, with a touch of mirth. “Tequila Set the House on Fire,” built on echoes of a mariachi foundation, tells a tongue in cheek tale of city living and a tequila assisted break-up: “You don’t miss your woman til the bottle runs dry.” And then, take it “Down to the Studs” with mandolin is a folksy dance number about reconstruction, warning us that “sometimes you gotta take a giant leap of faith.”
“Dawn” features accordion and is a slower song, with a humorous additions like “you like donuts with your beer,” and then “Louise” lets some adept harmonica playing carry the mood. “Killing me kindly” then returns to a more old timey feel with fiddles and a head-bopping rhythm style “this stray dog can’t be tamed.”