CD Review - The Power of Failing
Mineral was, along with Sunny Day Real Estate and the Get Up Kids, the key band in the mid-90's emo renaissance. Generally overshadowed in the national music scene by, first, grunge, and later Socalian Punk Rock (à la Green Day), it was nonetheless a vibrant scene with much more talent and intelligence to go around than either of the two aforementioned genres. The Power of Failing (Crank! Records, 1997), Mineral's first label release, is probably the best standard to judge from (rivaled only by SDRE's Diary (Sub Pop, 1994), an excellent CD in its own right).
Power is not for the uninitiated. The tone of the whole CD is very gritty and unpolished, which seems anathema to today's listeners of radio rock. The vocalist seems either drunk or tone deaf through much of the record, showing almost no consideration for rhyme, reason, or cadence. And the guitar consists almost entirely of the simplest of chords, octaves. However, each of these "problems" not only don't detract from the CD, they make it what it is. The gritty tone and lack of vocal polish convey a sense of despair and frustration ("Slower" is an excellent example of both), key themes of the emo genre. Screeching guitars, feedback, harmonics, everything unpleasant is used to further these effects. The CD starts out rough and tumble, but by "If I Could" it has begun to take on a more relaxed pace, giving way to an almost gloomy tempo by "Silver". The simple octave chords prevent the guitar from taking away from the song as a whole, as often happens when the player gets too crazy. And unlike many of their contemporaries they use few allusions or references, prefering instead to play and sing in a simple, straightforward manner. Sunny Day Real Estate, for comparison, uses so many vague phrases and references that the CD is just short of cryptic.
"Gloria" and "Slower" are the recommended listening off the CD, and can on their own encapsulate the entire record and genre as a whole. "Silver" is the ultimate in doom-mongering (opening line: Happiness is just a dream), while "Take The Picture Now" is a wonderfully depressing piece that encapsulate the singer's desperate wishes for happiness (Lyrics: There are blue skies in my dreams/and laughter that seems unending/there are green grass fields there/and happiness and hope for tomorrow) that never will be fulfilled. The singer seems on the verge of tears (yea yea, snicker all you want) and even the guitars seem to be crying.
Overall Rating: 9.4/10. My only complaints about this masterwork are the equivalent of getting a free car and finding out the reading light doesn't work. "Parking Lot" should've been moved up in the record, leaving "Take The Picture Now" as the last song, for while the former is of the same lyrical vein, it doesn't carry the same emotional weight. And I wish it was just a bit longer. Maybe one more song. But again, minor issues. Excellent CD.
Power is not for the uninitiated. The tone of the whole CD is very gritty and unpolished, which seems anathema to today's listeners of radio rock. The vocalist seems either drunk or tone deaf through much of the record, showing almost no consideration for rhyme, reason, or cadence. And the guitar consists almost entirely of the simplest of chords, octaves. However, each of these "problems" not only don't detract from the CD, they make it what it is. The gritty tone and lack of vocal polish convey a sense of despair and frustration ("Slower" is an excellent example of both), key themes of the emo genre. Screeching guitars, feedback, harmonics, everything unpleasant is used to further these effects. The CD starts out rough and tumble, but by "If I Could" it has begun to take on a more relaxed pace, giving way to an almost gloomy tempo by "Silver". The simple octave chords prevent the guitar from taking away from the song as a whole, as often happens when the player gets too crazy. And unlike many of their contemporaries they use few allusions or references, prefering instead to play and sing in a simple, straightforward manner. Sunny Day Real Estate, for comparison, uses so many vague phrases and references that the CD is just short of cryptic.
"Gloria" and "Slower" are the recommended listening off the CD, and can on their own encapsulate the entire record and genre as a whole. "Silver" is the ultimate in doom-mongering (opening line: Happiness is just a dream), while "Take The Picture Now" is a wonderfully depressing piece that encapsulate the singer's desperate wishes for happiness (Lyrics: There are blue skies in my dreams/and laughter that seems unending/there are green grass fields there/and happiness and hope for tomorrow) that never will be fulfilled. The singer seems on the verge of tears (yea yea, snicker all you want) and even the guitars seem to be crying.
Overall Rating: 9.4/10. My only complaints about this masterwork are the equivalent of getting a free car and finding out the reading light doesn't work. "Parking Lot" should've been moved up in the record, leaving "Take The Picture Now" as the last song, for while the former is of the same lyrical vein, it doesn't carry the same emotional weight. And I wish it was just a bit longer. Maybe one more song. But again, minor issues. Excellent CD.
posted by Jimmy at 12:18 AM
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