Mad Denizen

Men are so necessarily mad that not to be mad would appear mad, through another trick madness played.

Discovering the debut LP from Mad Denizen, Starved, is kinda like putting on Springsteen's Nebraska for the first time. It's one of those records that encourages late-night listening, preferably with cigarettes smoldering in the ashtray, whiskey close at hand.

Starved is primarily the work of Michael Charles, an after-hours LP that, intentional or not, is haunting as all get out (but in a good way). Armed mostly with an acoustic guitar and his voice, Charles tracked the record to tape using a TASCAM 388 reel-to-reel machine. The audio quality of the vinyl is striking in its immediacy and clarity, likely due to the tape medium, attention to detail in the recording process and top-notch mastering/cutting job. Starved is a winner for both the listener and even the most discerning audiophile.

The lead single "Invisible City" is like a modern update of Nirvana's "Polly" (complete with tasteful cello).

The tunes are moody and a great Smiths alternative for when you're feeling mad at the world and just want a comforting record to turn to. Couple that with the high-quality audio experience and killer album art, and this album definitely deserves a spot on your ever-expanding LP shelf. — Benjamin Ricci, Performer Magazine