Exactly opposite to many other bands, The Mysteries of Life consist of a male lead vocalist (called Jake Smith) and three female musicians, the drummer being Smith's wife, Freda Love. Part of the band members have pasts in bands like Blake Babies (with Juliana Hatfield) and Antenna.
But the gender distribution is not the only unusual thing about the Mysteries. While many bands try to create attention by using the maximal number of effects and a remarkable noise level, The Mysteries of Life choose a relaxed, laid-back style with a Van Morrison influence. The result sounds quite unspectacular at first sight, but Keep A Secret improves massively with repeated listening. Smith's vocals remind of Elvis Costello at places. The songs maintain a high quality throughout the album, and despite the slow pace, the music often develops a groove.
The album is just a step away from being truly outstanding; although the music grows on the listener, the songwriting lacks the brilliance behind a wonderful songwriter like Costello. But fans of slow, sensible music, covering the gamut from the Velvet Underground to the Counting Crows, should definitely check it out.
