Andrew North and the Rangers made a fairly large name for themselves in northern New England. This New Hampshire-based jam band initially got by mostly on touring. This live album Thanks For The Warning Vol. 1, recorded at their album release party at Area 23 in Concord, captures the lively fun of their mid-tempo rockers as well as the spirited joy of their grander, motion-filled speedy flights of fancy.
Opener “Thing About The Woods” offers the listener a rhythmic jaunt from a classic rock piano line. Those ivory strikes feel like rock and roll in their hip delivery while maintaining a festive jumpiness. That jumpy sensation seems to drive the rhythm section, keeping those drum fills and bass thumps in a nervous twitchy motion. Together, it all keeps the toes tapping, the ears glued. Quirky lyrics about the woods come together in perfect unity with a chorus that’s joyfully tacked to the groove.
Filled with mischievous horn work, “Epiphone” finds itself stuffed with mellifluous lines. A rich baritone sax dances its thick lines around a thinner alto sax, the two jiving around an assertive groove, drum fills, and bass fullness that give the two upper register instruments a motivational pattern to follow. Rich thickness sashaying around a thin line of sensual melodic reach keep things interesting. These horn players have a chemistry that is mathematical and sexy at once. Listeners cannot help but be further drawn in as the horns lay their melodic grist, flopping and free, over an electric piano progression.
Difficult to pigeonhole into a genre, “Fluffy Stranger” plays out with speedy riffs from each instrument. Each instrumentalist plays with a heightened sense of drama in the timbre. Urgency in each measure, “Fluffy Stranger” might be heralding the arrival of visitors from another world, or, more likely, a new person who overwhelms once he or she enters one’s life. Quick drum fills, piano pounds, and a strident horn line entwine to create some of the best work out music or a good action scene soundtrack. Make sure you stretch before dancing to this.
“Infinity Spinning” demands a lot of itself. Its mission is to describe the nature of the universe. Haunting piano chords open, leaving a lot of space for those notes to ring out. Soon, the whole band is jamming around an electric piano line. I’m reminded of a lot of modern jazz in that line. So, it’s uncanny how well a deep rich bari sax line from the R&B school of thought fills in the space around that keyboard. “Infinity Spinning” finds the electric piano transforming itself into a modern clavinet, adding a layer of funk atop all. One can also hear a thick cord of bass guitar on the other side of the main melody line. Put all of these elements together and it is an infinite spin of sound. The keyboard spins and weaves itself onto a lot of funky waves and this does manufacture an infinity of its own.
“Chicken In The Backyard” aims for pure fun. Charismatic vocals make light of a situation involving a bird in a strange place. The lead vocal, large and clear, travels over funky horn lines and a soft mesh rhythm section. Andrew North’s voice keeps this one hip, a perfect timbre for a scene decorated with elastic bass line, puffs of sax, and a speedy funk organ.
Elastic bass playing begins and continues to mark “I Want To Be A Ranger.” That four string ride is the rhythmic underpinning to this smooth soul vocal and wind synthesizer glide number. A lead vocal maintains that kind of hip delivery, taking its time unfurling it words of street wisdom. A breezy electric line oozes itself forward from that wind synthesizer in a space in between the groove and lead local. Its run is a delicacy for the ear as it offers its own kind of cool. Eventually, a heavier keyboard moves over it, and all groove breaks loose, heavier funk moving with surefooted grace. This jam band often makes it mark in this manner, trying an effusion of instrumentation to come up with something different for the ears.
Combining European classical piano and a Mariachi song., “Down The Pipe” is an interesting effort, working well to maintain a dramatic flair throughout. The stiff upper lip personality of the piano contrasts well with the flamboyant style of that horn. The horn’s intervals of notes create a lot of tension, flare, and color. The piano, playing straight, man keeps a stable backbone. Each offers something energetic before allowing more room and diversity for the rhythm section to inject plenty of fills and a low end run. This band certainly knows how to party on stage.
“50-50” uses jocular lyrics about splitting things evenly to sprinkle levity over this pretty melodic tune. Sweet “flute” notes add an additional flavor to this hip R&B flavor jam. While the rich froth of bari sax and the cool piano chords maintain that sexy motion one can move to, the “flute” adds something higher, prettier. The instruments compliment and balance each other well, and we have another fine example of this outfit’s creativity, reaching into other genres and instruments to diversity their jam band sound.
A jiving mesh of funky keyboards and jumpy saxophone, “Electrostatic Chills” almost becomes traditional funk. That doesn’t mean we’re safe. Nothing is traditional or norm in the hands of these peddlers of new ideas. Just when we feel we can sway like hippies to the vibe, the vocalists go into a chorus about bad hair, paying bills, and other concerns. Just when the song has gone back into a familiar funk territory, the band pulls the carpet out from under us again by going into a jam version of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” It’s a fun ride, even if you’re never sure where the driver is taking you.
Close out rack “Sneaky Lou” ends the concert with high flying solos and tight ensemble work. The bass guitar dances its low end line around a piano and high hat groove. “Sneaky Lou” finds some instrumentalists stopping and starting with split second timing. It also finds the singers offering humor about a guy you just shouldn’t take your eyes off of. A saxophone blows a wide, twisty line before a bari punctuates the first sax with its strong personality. There are just too many musical flourishes to keep up with here, which is the point. This one leaves the listener highly entertained, breathless, caught up in the moment with a bunch of zany players doing their zany business on stage.
Andrew North and the Rangers provide a fine document of what they are capable of when their unleashed on an unsuspecting audience. Like a three ring circus, any individual band member or the ensemble, could be performing an amazing feat just before another band member takes it in another startling interesting direction. Bravo.
