Mothman and The Thunderbirds are back with a space-themed EP they’ve titled Gazer. The EP features the band’s original track “Gazer,” a catchy space-rock track that’s combined with two covers that also have a spacey sound, described in their press release as “a mystifying version of Smash Mouth’s “All-Star” and a totally tripped out take on The Byrds’ “Mr. Spaceman.”
About Gazer
Mothman And The Thunderbirds come to us from Philadelphia and have been making music since 2020. Known for their riffs and heavy style, Mothman has decided to go in a new direction with Gazer, and the results are far better than they should be. I’m hoping that the cosmic theme is something that we’ll get a full album of in the future.
The Songs
I was shocked when this started playing the first track, “Gazer,” as Mothman is usually on the heavier end of the music spectrum. This is more of a space-rock meets pop type of song, and I’m totally down for it.
The slick mellow vibes, the slight Eighties feel, and a wonderful vocal flow/performance are all a big part of the verse sections, and the massive chorus brings everything together perfectly. The guitar solo and the music underneath are quite progressive sounding, and the transition back into the chorus is smooth and efficient. There’s a sweet, heavy psych riff that I love and serves as the outro, ending the song on a high note!
Everyone on the planet has heard “All-Star” by Smashmouth, be it in a film or television show or just on the radio, and for better or worse, it has become a part of the cultural zeitgeist of 2000s-era music.
I have long enjoyed the original version, but Mothman has taken this track to a new level of excitement. The blend of heavy riffs and the infusion of space-rock and psych changes the feel of the song, particularly during the verse sections. There is also a serious 2000s-era vibe flowing throughout, which helps keep this cover rooted in the era that Smashmouth was a part of. This is one of the best cover tracks that I’ve heard this year, a fantastic reimagining of a well-loved song.
“Mr. Spaceman” was originally recorded by The Byrds and was the third single from their 1966 album, Fifth Dimension. It is also the inspiration behind the “space-rock” genre tag, as it was coined by the music press at the time of its release. In this writer’s humble opinion, their original is more of a country-rock song and more akin to The Grateful Dead than to what we now think of as space rock.
The good thing about Mothman and The Thunderbird’s take is that it actually feels and sounds like a space-rock track. The reverb-soaked vocals have a floating, ethereal quality to them and are performed exceptionally well, and the music does, too; however, my dislike of the original leaked into my opinion on the cover, tainting it with personal bias. I firmly believe that I’d enjoy this track if I had never heard the 1966 version, and here we find Mothman doing a fantastic job of keeping the track true to itself while also offering up something new.
“Liminal Spacetime Continuum” is a bonus track, an instrumental demo, and a damn good one at that. I’m of the mind that this and “Gazer” is somewhat similar in style and could give birth to a new direction for Mothman and The Thunderbirds, even if just for one psychedelic space-rock meets progressive album.
Final Thoughts
It’s always interesting to hear a band try new things, especially if they are successful in their attempt, and Mothman has been very successful with this EP. It’s also nice to hear a cover that isn’t a clone of its original, and that is something else that Mothman successfully captured. “Gazer” and “Liminal Spacetime Continuum” both hint at things to come, and I’m very excited to see what the band does with the space-rock style.
As for the covers, “Mr. Spaceman” wasn’t my thing due to not liking the original, but I believe this version is superior to what The Byrds did with it, and the “All-Star” cover is flat-out amazing in every way. Gazer will be released on June 23rd and is recommended for fans of Torche, Hum, Ween, Mutoid Man, Swervedriver, and Truckfighters.
Support Mothman and The Thunderbirds by finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Twitter, Instagram).
This review was written by Tom Hanno, who has been writing reviews for the last 7 years but has been sharing his love of music for the majority of his life. Originally starting out at the now-defunct Chimera Magazine, he is currently contributing to Doomed and Stoned, The Sleeping Shaman, The Doom Charts, Tom’s Reviews, and The Third Eye. Read more of Tom’s reviews by checking out his Linktree.
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