The band 10,000 Maniacs is back with a new singer and a new album.After lead singer Natalie Merchant left to pursue a solo career in September 1993, the band found itself a new singer-violist, Mary Ramsey, and produced its latest album, “Love Among the Ruins.” The album also features the return of founding member John Lombardo on acoustic and electric guitars. Ramsey is not a new face in 10,000 Maniacs family. She played viola and sang background on the band’s last two releases and tours, so she had a natural link with the band before she became the band’s new artist. Ramsey also released two albums with Lombardo under the name “Mary & John.” It is inevitable that “Love Among The Ruins” and Ramsey will be compared to the Natalie Merchant years. Merchant was the singer for seven albums during her time with the band. For better or for worse, she was the most recognizable figure in 10,000 Maniacs. The album starts off with “Rainy Day,” which opens with an out of place dance beat, but then settles into the familiar combination of jangle guitar and a folk-rockish style. This will no doubt be the track that older 10,000 Maniacs fans will respond to. Guitarist Robert Buck brings back memories of older 10,000 Maniacs’ songs such as “Like the Weather” and “These are the Days,” but those moments are far and few between. There is a slight nagging sensation that this version of the band is actually a cover band of the 10,000 Maniacs we are familiar with. Ramsey is a very capable singer and her vocal and viola style are best showcased on the track “Girl on the Train.” The interplay draws you into a tightly arranged slower number that is similar to the band Mazzy Star. The most refreshing part of the album is that Ramsey doesn’t try to be a Natalie Merchant clone, and brings her own spin to the group. However, this is also the album’s biggest drawback. While Merchant tackled a variety of socially conscious subjects, Ramsey stays away from that genre. Over all “Love Among the Ruins” is an OK album, but joining a band like 10,000 Maniacs leaves Ramsey with some pretty big shoes to fill.