by: David Wild

Before playing a few tracks from the upcoming 10,000 Maniacs album, African Violet Society, during mixing sessions at Suma Studios, in West Hollywood, California, the group's lead singer, Natalie Merchant, calls for some mood lighting in the studio. But as admirers of the group might expect, the songs provide plenty of atmosphere all by themselves. Produced by Paul Fox (XTC, the Sugarcubes) and engineered by Ed Thacker, the new album - recorded at Bearville Studioes, in Bearsville, New York - features some pleasant musical surprises as well as an overall more direct, punchy sonic approach than the group's two Peter Asher-produced albums, 1987's In My Tribe and 1989's Blind Man's Zoo.

"You can't go to the same well too may times," says Dennis Drew, the group's keyboardist. "We all knew it was time to make a change."

Apparently it was an easy transition for all involved. "We had more fun making this record than any other," says Merchant, "and I think the album sounds like it." Indeed it does. Perhaps the most startling track on African Violet Society is Few and Far Between, an infectious uptempo soul number that features the great Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley of James Brown's horn section. "It's our 10,000 Nostalgic for a Motown Song Maniacs," says Merchant of the track, which is a contender for being the first single. Other songs include the lilting These Are the Days, the haunting Noah's Dove, How You've Grown, Jezebel, Gold Rush Brides, Stockton Gala Days, and I'm Not the Man which features - that rock standard - a bassoon duet.

Before recording, the group went out on a brief tour in order to road-test some of the new material. "Partly as a result of them doing that, this is a very live recording," says Fox, who proudly declares the album "99.9 percent sample-free."