What does a band from Maine sound like? When you hear that a band plays “Southern Rock” you have a good idea what you’re going to get. Many artists from Texas and Oklahoma share musical qualities. Some cities have a “sound” that makes them unique such as New Orleans, Memphis, or Seattle. But Maine? The Mallett Brothers Band is from Maine and it turns out what they play is some damn fine rock n’ roll.

Gold Light is the band’s eighth studio album since they formed in 2009. All ten tracks on the self-produced record were written by Luke and Will Mallett. As for what fans can expect, singer/guitarist Luke says, “We ended up picking out the songs for this record based on a rough outline of the Hero’s Journey, applied generally to the creative life, the rock and roll life or however you want to think about it. Reflecting that, there is definitely a lot of turmoil on this record, but overall it’s pretty optimistic. We’ve all needed all the joy we can get over the past year, and there’s a lot of it on here.”

The first thing jumping out of the speakers when you listen to Gold Light is the fiddle of Andrew Martelle. It’s right up front on the opening track “Livin’ on Rock ‘n Roll,” and you can hear him playing throughout the record. That doesn’t take away any of the rock from the songs, it just adds another voice. The next thing you notice is the incredible harmonies. You expect that from brothers but all five members share vocal credits, giving the songs variety. Martelle also plays mandolin and guitar; Will Mallett plays guitars, banjo, and keys; Nick Leen plays both upright and electric bass; Wally (just Wally) gets guitar and keys credits; and drummer/percussionist Brian Higgins round out the Mallett Brothers Band.

If the thought of a fiddle in a rock band makes you skeptical, go directly to track 8 and let “General Affliction” blow you away. It’s as straight-ahead rock as you’ll ever want. “Different Time” features a fine fiddle solo that in no way detracts from the fact that it’s a rock song. “Blues Come Around” is another rocker that drives the middle section of the album.

The title track “Gold Light” is a plea for optimism in tough times: “Paint the world in Gold Light / That’s how you make it through the long cold night / Paint the world in pastel / Paint the heavens and the halls of hell.” The trumpet of Emma Stanley offers a change of pace on “Mexican Hat” giving the song a south of the border feel in a song that doesn’t take place south of the border.

“Buffalo” asks the existential question: “Am I a part of the problem / Or am I part of a plan / Sometimes I feel like the buffalo / And sometimes I feel like the man.” Set to a sparse arrangement, the song emphasizes the lyrics more than the instrumentation. “Accidental Alchemy” closes out the album, and the fiddle and banjo touches give it the most Americana feel of any track.

The band describes their style as ranging “from alt-country to Americana, country, jam and roots rock - influenced equally by the singer/songwriter tradition as by harder rock, classic country and psychedelic sounds.” Gold Light is full of all that and does it as well as anyone else making what I call “Heartland Rock ‘n Roll” on the road today. Being based in the far northeast no doubt presents some touring problems however the band has appeared in Austin, Texas and Alexandria, Virginia as well as venues far from home in Denver, Little Rock, and Nashville. Here’s hoping that America gets a chance to catch the Mallett Brothers Band live in support of this excellent music.

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