The New Gun is the sophomore release from the brothers Aron and Robert Mardo. The band also includes Sonny Sly on keyboards and Coley Read on guitar. The album opens with a hard-driving rocker called “Lolita Live and Learn” that pulses with unstoppable energy, reminiscent of some of the seventies work of Aerosmith and Humble Pie. Aron Mardo’s clean but gravelly vocals are evocative of AC/DC’s Brian Johnson.
“Killer on a Dance Floor” is bound to get everyone moving. With the refrain, “shake it baby,” it’s the perfect sing-along song. Robert Mardo said of the track: “We wanted something that could be played in the clubs and on Rock stations. Like Elvis, the first rock 'n’ roll was all danceable music and we wanted to get back to that. Don’t get me wrong – we hate to dance! But there’s nothing wrong with getting the girls shaking.”
Mardo’s softer side is showcased on the power ballad, “The Healing.” The track was born out of the many deaths of friends and loved ones the band has experienced over the past year. The song is arranged very well, starting with just an acoustic guitar and Aron’s vocals and then adding electric guitar and drums to add the power.
The Temptations' classic hit, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” gets transformed into an old fashioned rocker. Mardo has added guitar and organ solos without sacrificing the soul and R&B elements of the original song. At just over six minutes long, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” is a real arena anthem that will rock your CD player as well.
While Mardo is obviously heavily influenced by many rockers of the seventies, they are clearly forging their own identity by combining hard rock and glam. Mardo seems to be trying to bring back album rock, as The New Gun isn’t a CD that screams ‘singles,’ but rather an album that is meant to be put on your CD or MP3 player and listened to all the way through.
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