Nathen Maxwell – White Rabbit

When it comes to Nathen Maxwell’s solo debut, White Rabbit, I’ve been reading a lot of reviews opening with the predictable “you probably know Nathen as the bass player from Flogging Molly.”  Now while his status of bass player is completely true, I have my doubts about whether many people actually knew Maxwell by name up until now.  And why should they have?  He’s the bass player in an energetic seven person Celtic punk-band – not exactly the most glamorous position in a band chalk full of novelties.  But with the release of White Rabbit, Maxwell has given the world a reason to take note.

The album, written on the road over the course of Maxwell’s ten plus year career boasts eleven tracks of effortlessly mixed reggae, folk, dub, and acoustic strumming – quite a spread for someone typically confined to performing sing along bar tunes.  The album is best described as a mix of Jack Johnson’s sunny beach side melodies and Bedouin Soundclash’s knack for creating lounging Caribbean atmospheres.  On tracks like “Stick To My Guns” Maxwell effortlessly strums his guitar to what sounds like echoic steel drums.  It’s hard to imagine a more relaxed feel.  But while White Rabbit is technically simple, Maxwell’s vision is quite elaborate.  Supported by a talented array of musicians, the album is filled with plenty of atmospheric flourishes.  Tracks like “By Your Side” open with the distinct harmonica hum, while others, like the aforementioned “Stick To My Guns,” feature the guiding sound of casual accordion keys.  None of these novelties are overpowering – these instruments only appear occasionally within and between tracks.  Rather, each instrument finds a unique way to compliment White Rabbit’s relaxed vision.

Maxwell contrasts his laid back tone with semi-political lyrics about freedom and government oppression.  Tracks like “Mijo” detail the imprisonment of Mijo, an out of luck immigrant and independent thinker who takes pride in existing outside of “the system.”  The track ultimately gets at the idea of enthusiastic immigrants trusting a newfound state to deliver them freedom and equality, only to have their hopes smashed when they discover their expected subservient societal role.  Tracks like “Chief of a Nation” contrast American views of leadership and strength – those based on riches and glory – with those of leaders who strive at providing citizens with a safe and welcoming future.  Despite the subdued mood, Maxwell feels optimistic.  While in track like “Working for the Man” Maxwell chants “work work working, for the man, nobody’s getting rich but the man,” he later ensures listeners that he’s “cooking up a plan” and that “everything is gonna work out fine.”  White Rabbit depicts Maxwell as an optimistic realist – a man who acknowledges that only through hard work and deep commitment to his values can he hope to make a difference.

I can’t say I was expecting much from White Rabbit – but that’s only because up until a little pre-listening research I hadn’t the faintest clue who Nathen Maxwell was (I’m sure my street cred will take a hit for that statement).  But even if I had clued into Maxwell’s formal connection with Flogging Molly, nothing would have prepared me for White Rabbit’s direction.  Part summer reggae, part carefree acoustic melody, and at times lyrically very political, White Rabbit’s clever infusion of influences makes it one of the year’s most pleasant surprises.