Mando Saenz
| Established. Jan 01, 2015 | INDIE
Music
Press
“Watertown is full of sweet melodies in the tradition of Jeff Buckley’s Grace or Rufus Wainwright’s Poses. His voice is rich. Saenz is not about throwing suprises at the listener, he is not out to impress you with fancy recording tricks; his music is simple and beautiful and so are his lyrics. - Jupiter Index
“Watertown boasts an outstanding array of instantly familiar melodies, anchored by Saenz’s intimate, sincere storytelling. Each song is like a family snapshot, shaped by a past that didn’t initially include music as a goal.” - Houston Chronicle
“(Mando Saenz's) plaintive delivery and knack for sweet melodies are evident from the get-go.” - Paste Magazine
"I haven’t been this excited about an album in awhile. Mando Saenz has truly put together a work of art…to me it’s a must have.” - Americanaroots.com
“(Mando Saenz) is something of a Southwestern Bruce Springsteen. His poetic and touching story songs about life's losers, soul-searchers and nostalgic dreamers are emotionally fleshed-out and grounded in real-life details. But they're sung in a haunting, laid-back voice that is all Saenz's own, and although each cut is richly orchestrated, they have a gentle, twangy feel that nicely complements Saenz's sweet, slightly ethereal vocals. - U Daily News
USA TODAY music critic Brian Mansfield highlights 10 exceptional tracks for discerning downloaders…
“Pocket of Red” – “Co-writer Kim Richey's harmony lends an exquisite touch to this Texas singer/songwriter's melancholy rocker.”
- USA TODAY
“Inventively produced by R.S. Field, with captivating songs of both the self-penned and collaborative kind (with Kim Richey and Will Kimbrough, notably) plus inspired musical support from redoubtable musicians on the order of guitarists Kenny Vaughn and Richard Bennett, among others, Mexico-born and Texas-raised Mando Saenz makes his sophomore album a moment to remember as the true launching point for what should be a significant career.” - barnesandnoble.com
“Mando Saenz is a relative newcomer…but his name will surely soon be synonymous with tasty, lyrical songwriting Texas-style, akin to Townes Van Zandt and Lyle Lovett. Bucket is a compelling calling card that tenders eleven instantly likable original songs.” - Journal Register Group
“Mando Saenz is masterful at evoking nostalgia and melancholy in bite-sized, 3 to 4 minute chunks.” - This Is Texas Music
“Singer/songwriter Mando Saenz sings with the ease of Lyle Lovett but writes from a Steve Earle heart. Mixing heavy and descriptive, yet smoothly poetic lyrics with his easy, laid back delivery, Saenz opens up a richly detailed world of true Texan humanity.” - Miles of Music
Discography
Watertown, Carnival Recording Company 2005
Bucket, Carnival Recording Company, 2008
Studebaker, Carnival Recording Company, 2013
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Bio
Mando Saenz has made a career out of watching people, haunting places, and asking questions. Studebaker, his third studio album released June 4, 2013 by Carnival Recording Company, is propelled by his self-deprecating wit, careful observation, and empathetic ability to make heroes out of outcasts.
Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Bobby Bare, Jr., Andrew Bird) produced Studebaker in his home studio, Beech House Recording, in Nashville during sessions that began late last fall and ran into early 2013. Nevers and Saenz assembled an ace cast of players, including Kenny Vaughan, Pete Finney, Jedd Hughes, Kim Richey, and Bobby Bare, Jr.
Dabbling in pointed folk, hushed pop, honky tonk, and rock-and-roll, Studebaker combines the acoustic pensiveness of 2005’s Watertown and the full-bodied bravado of 2008’s Bucket. Saenz’s tenor, which has always been arresting, has assumed a full, rich timbre that can still deliver lines delicately, but can also howl like a freight train.“I’ve been happy, I’ve been sad, I’ve been lucky, I’ve been unlucky. I’ve been spoiled, and I’ve also been whatever the opposite of spoiled is,” Saenz says. “Maybe I’m just getting to the age where I feel more comfortable talking, indirectly, about what I’ve been through.”As he snarls, “Where’s my Studebaker / I’m nobody’s pocket change” in new album track “Pocket Change,” it’s clear that Saenz is not only comfortable, he’s enjoying himself.
“I’ve been playing ‘Pocket Change’ for a few years now,” he says. “The song has gone over so well live. One of the reasons I decided to call the album ‘Studebaker’ is people ask at shows, ‘Hey, what album is that “Studebaker” song on?’” “Breakaway Speed,” co-written with Richey and featuring her harmonies, beautifully chronicles a breakup with a toe-tapping pop melody. Fiddle in tow, “Tall Grass” swings through a classic boy-begs-girl-for-a-chance storyline, with a twist. “Colorado” is an elaborate narrative that transports listeners to John Ford’s West. “Hard Time in Tennessee” is a character-defining list of things the hero wishes he could do, but just can’t. “Nobody” and “Battle Scar” grapple in different ways with the concept of identity, while “Sweet Marie” and “Smiles at the Door” are tender love songs. “The only time I speak out is when I sing,” Saenz says. “I am more comfortable musically now, but in a lot of other ways, too. Maybe that comes through in the songs.”
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