Often when an album crosses my hand, it’s usually a case of one listen and sense is made of it all. ‘The Sky (Or The Underground)’ by Bostonians Mean Creek wasn’t that easy. An amalgamation of genres spanning from New Wave to 60s Americana to Stoner Rock all in the space of 10 tracks.
So what are Mean Creek all about? Spending some time really listening to this wonderful sophomore album I now finally get it.
The title track ‘The Sky (Or The Underground)’starts off with a hint of melancholy wrapped up in a hail of drum beats and dark guitars. Quite a powerful opener with a touch of darkness and a glimmer of hope that comes shining through on the chorus. ‘Face Of The Earth’, dare I say it, has just a hint of Springsteen, with its big chorus that I can certainly imagine their fans singing their hearts out too and wanting more in the process. ‘Light Into Dark’ is the next stand out track for me. Again a big chorus that made me feel like I want to be part of this band. Beautiful vocal harmonies and heavy Americana influenced guitars sculpt this into a very good song indeed. Now this is what I’m talking about, the track ‘Not Too Dream’ starts off with a wail of feedback and then calms right down via a stoner rock riff. This song is genius! Patriotism evoking at first , but listen to those lyrics and damn these guys talk harshly about the state of a nation. I love songs that lure you into a false sense of security and then let you have it with clever, thought-provoking songwriting. ‘It’s Good To Be Back Again’ is a beautiful little ditty that’s charming and melodic in all the right places and in the right doses too.
But finally it’s the song ‘Wild Beasts’ that will always have a small place in my heart. I’m going on record now and saying Neil Young would have been proud to write a song like this one. At the forefront are attacking lyrics that seem to be against an administration that did more harm than good. Some great guitar work on this song too, delayed fuzzy guitars that have wonderful gloomy under tones to them. A hint of the wild west dragged into the 21st Century with a message of hope and despair in equal measures. Truly amazing, it really is my favourite song on the album and definitely one that sums up the 10 song collection for me.
An understated, lyrically complex, genre filled triumph. I will just apologise to Mean Creek for not getting it first time round.
‘The Sky (Or The Underground)’ is out now on Old Flame Records and check out the bands bio and music here http://myspace.com/meancreek
(Peter Cornish-Barlow)
