Olivia Mancini: Listen

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At just 2½ minutes, the song “My Old Ways” captures everything we love about rock music —from its rolling, train-engine rhythm and the light bounce of the piano to talk of old habits and “hundred-mile nights.” Even without the support of her usual brass accompaniment, DC native Olivia Mancini’s songs jump with the raw energy of great ska, always wrapped around her distinctive and melodious voice.

On “My Old Ways,” off last year’s Chatterbox EP, Mancini sings: “I’m drinking one tonight, but I’m gonna sip it slowly. / I don’t want to get so messed up as I did last night.” What could be a throwaway line for hundreds of bands is instead a sincere and simple moment tinged with regret and renewed optimism. The track, simultaneously full-bodied and intimate, could blare over a bar jukebox, fill a dance floor, or comfortably make its home inside a pair of headphones—a testament to Mancini and the flawless playing of her band, the Mates. - Washingtonian.com