Mendoza are a 5 piece band from the Oldham area of Manchester. When I first saw their name I mis-read it as mendonca, which would have gained them a 5-star review just for naming their band after former Grimsby Town and Charlton football legend Clive Mendonca. But sadly I had mis-read it and the band’s visions of a 5-star opinion were dashed. That said, in ‘(Thank Fuck For) Snowdays’ the band have an excellent song that isn’t too far off 5-star status. With some ballsy guitar riffs, fucking amazing vocal harmonies and a catchy as Hell chorus, it’s the best thing I’ve heard in a while and the best track on this 4-tracker by a distance.
It actually saves Mendoza from being a bit middle-of-the-road. Don’t get me wrong, they’re good, but they just don’t go anywhere, save the last track. The riffs are pretty good throughout, as are the vocals, but nothing leaps out at me to suggest the band are anything but good. ‘Nothing To Fear’ is a decent rock song, but it sounds a bit familiar, while the album’s title track kind of meanders along a bit. Then the last track comes along and blows the previous three out of the water. If the band can find that knack of writing killer songs then they’ll be out of Oldham in no time at all…