Common Mama – Common Mama

Common Mama is the brainchild of Ferdinando Arnò, a project that on first listen is designed to be as sweet as possible. Each song on the finely crafted EP is about love in some way, shape or form and it all plays out like classic pop; gentle, laidback and sugary to the point it can get a little hard to stomach. While the music slowly grows on you, Common Mama’s eponymous EP still feels oddly sterile in places, with any possible edges completely rounded off.

‘Opener A New Kind Of Something’ is the worst offender for this. It’s a completely inoffensive, summery pop song that is slightly reminiscent of Jack Jonhson or Jason Mraz and it’s all about falling in love. Ignoring the fact it’s already been featured in an advert, the chances are you’ve heard this song even if you haven’t heard it. Even the hints of intrigue in the lyrics “It helps me forget, what I tend, I tend to remember, it helps me draw the line.” It’s hard to deny it’s catchy, but even that can’t de-rail the unrelenting safety of the track.

‘Possibly Mine’ only differs in surface details with ‘A New Kind Of Something‘. They’re both catchy, breezy and the excellent production means that you’ll be picking up subtleties after a few listens, with the flourish of strings at the start of ‘Possibly Mine’s chorus instantly alluring, but it’s hard to love these tracks, they feel designed to have the broadest appeal possible.

But as the EP carries on, the breezy melodies give way to more intriguing arrangements. ‘Downtown Strolling Downtown’ may have a pretty silly title, but its driving piano ballad and Joe Kenzie’s voice mix perfectly. Originality might not be a factor, but it feels far more intriguing than the EP’s early musically insistent optimism.  ‘This Dance Is Random’ continues this trend, weaving a tale of a cautious step into the future that has the best chorus on the EP and that’s before the trumpets kick in.

Common Mama is an introduction to a band that has all the ingredients to be great. Jon Kenzie’s voice is earnest and pleasant, the pretty melodies will buzz around your head for days and its breezy nature means that you’re left intrigued by where the band could go. But, it also feels oddly empty and manufactured to be as pleasing as possible. So far, it lacks the spark that makes a band you like a band you love.