REVIEW: 10,000 Maniacs, Love Among the Ruins (Geffen)

- Jon Steltenpohl

After a short break following the exit of Natalie Merchant, 10,000 Maniacs have returned with a new album, a past member, and a new member. Love Among the Ruins features the old core (Buck, Drew, Gustafson, and Augustyniak) joined with early member John Lombardo and his bandmate Mary Ramsey. Lombardo was with 10,000 Maniacs through 1985's The Wishing Chair, and later teamed up with Ramsey to form John and Mary. But there was never a big separation between the two bands. Buck and Augustyniak guested on John and Mary's albums, and Ramsey played violin and viola on both Our Time in Eden and the MTV Unplugged album.

The new 10,000 Maniacs album, Love Among the Ruins, is a decent effort that holds its own weight, but doesn't quite match up to the best of 10,000 Maniacs' work with Natalie Merchant. Listening to Merchant's Tigerlilly alongside of Love Among the Ruins, it's clear where the talent lines were drawn. Merchant had the melody and soul, and the band had the musical vision. So, while Tigerlilly presents a soulful voice and lyrics backed by an average band, Love Among The Ruins features an incredible band fronted by an average lead singer. In both cases, the end result is a better than average album with a few faults.

Not that Ramsey doesn't have her strong points. As the lead vocalist for John and Mary, her simple voice melded perfectly with the sparse musical backdrop. But, the new band is still playing for a bold voice as if Merchant never left, and Ramsey's soft voice can't quite fill the void. In this respect, Love Among the Ruins feels much like the last 10,000 Maniacs album featuring Lombardo. On The Wishing Chair, Lombardo's music and Merchant's lyrics were starting to come together, but Merchant still hadn't found her voice. It wasn't until In My Tribe that Merchant broke through.

Unfortunately for Ramsey, she's trying to push a weak, falsetto voice into the forefront of a 6 piece band. It's a quite a change from just her and Lombardo, and she hasn't completely made the transition. With John and Mary, songs like "Piles of Dead Leaves" shifted eamlessly from a strong alto to lilting falsetto. But on most of Love Among the Ruins, Ramsey goes against her strengths, and the result are strained tracks like "A Room for Everything."

Still, when everything comes together, the songs are engaging. "More Than This" is the best song of the album, and the Roxy Music cover features everything you look for in a 10,000 Maniacs song. Buck's mandolin is used sparingly with pinpoint accuracy. The melody flows quickly and sticks in your head, and Ramsey's voice is quiet, yet confident. Ramsey and the band also shine on "Rainy Day" and "Love Among the Ruins." All three of these songs are excellent Adult Contemporary tracks and should capture the attention of VH-1 fans. "Shinning Light" is also enjoyable and is reminiscent of the early 10,000 Maniacs sound. It stands out with a Hammond Organ and the band's patented "white man's funk" rhythm section.

Admittedly, Love Among the Ruins is a few steps back for 10,000 Maniacs. Without Merchant, the band has lost a good portion of its soul. Still, the new album has its high points, and if you aren't expecting Merchant, it's an enjoyable album. Fans of 10,000 Maniacs from the early 80's and fans of John and Mary will enjoy Love Among the Ruins, and based on the strength of the best tracks, the new band's next album should be a classic.