Mafia Hill: China Girl

Turn on the radio or scan Youtube and you will come across an uncountable sea of "safe" artists that pretend to be edgy. Recently I was sent a track from the band Mafia Hill. "China Girl" has a reckless garage band vibe that just throws everything out there and doesn't really care what you think about it. I myself like the idea of Garage Rock because it has the attitude of Punk Rock but you don't get weighed down by the socio/political ethos that Punk so often brandishes. 

That said this is a straight up rocker. The guitar work done on the track has a nice gritty tone that will wake you up and get you out of bed. The right hand work has a sloppy technique yet it stays in the groove. It's the fun type of electric guitar playing that doesn't really care about the rules. Around the three minute mark the guitar lays back to break up the vibe. A crescendo of notes that peak into a guitar solo do well to help move the song up a notch.

The bass guitar on this track is present, but isn't really given the head room to breath. That said, you can tell that this is a guitar song. Probably based on artistic preferences but I would have liked the bass guitar more prevalent in the mix. It does well, it holds down the low end and fills out the sound scape but I wish that the vibe and attention to detail used on the guitar would have been applied here as well. 

Percussion on the cut I will presume is programmed. Essentially it is a loop that continues through the duration of the song. Personally I love guitar fills, but in a sense it is like a throw back to early rock 'n roll where the drums weren't allowed much room for blossoming. They fit well in the mix and keep time well, almost too well for garage rock. Sometimes attitude gets in the way of proper time keeping and adds to the flavor in result. I would have liked to hear more flash on the drums. 

As far as vocals are concerned. Garry has the attitude to match the guitar work. The production is low-fi in nature and that fits with the song's garage rock appeal. The overdubs are minimal but help with dynamics of the performance. I like the rough-neck approach to the love of a beautiful woman. Which he calls his "China Girl".

If you are looking for a song to crank while out on the open road this is your cut. I could totally see myself road raging to this track with the pedal to the metal. I recommend this song to those that like Rock, Garage Rock, Indie and Alternative.

Check out the video: https://www.facebook.com/garry.butlerkania/videos/1310599822479137/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mafiahill/

Michael Smith