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Mt. Vernon band Mindhead's sophomore release, "How
not to get there", is mature and sincere indie rock
at its finest. Each song is unique and driven, universal
and yet drenched with a sense of individuality the listener
can relate with. The album as a whole is innovative, tightly
woven, and bracing.
Starting strong with the great riffs of 'Arrivals",
leading to my personal favorite 'Baby, let's go for a ride",
to the impressive vocal styling in '6 months, 3 days', the
listener is riveted in the band's talent. Composed of lead
singer and guitarist Joe Day, Seth Fikkert on drums, bass
guitarist Jeff Morrow, and Jon Orange on keys, guitar and
backing vocals, the group is refreshingly pleasing. With
the added genius of Mr. Winston on wine glasses and his
creation the mototron, their originality is taken to another
level. It is at times hypnotically dark and intensely vulnerable,
portraying a sense of longing and need. Listening to this
band an underlying message becomes apparent throughout the
album, which seems to be a search for meaning and truth
within relationships and faith.
While their music is enjoyable to listen to, you have not
fully had the Mindhead experience until you have been to
a live performance. The band not only performs high-energy
shows that the crowd loves, they are also defying death
at the same time. Also known as: dodging bassist, Jeff Morrow's
guitar. We can thankfully say no serious injuries have come
about from Jeff's untamed momentum.
We can also say, that it is very surprising that Jeff has
not yet axed someone's skull. Encores are not something
the band is unfamiliar with. They are often chanted back
onto stage to bring on more rock. But a show is not truly
over until drummer, Seth, has knocked over at least half
of his drum kit, has fallen on the floor and is tapping
out the beats on the rim of his snare drum.
"How not to get there" delivers nicely and is
of a praiseworthy caliber unlike the majority of music heard
today. It will perhaps become the defining work of this
band, and should be a welcome addition to any c.d. collection.
Reviewed by Jacquee
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