One
band I’ve consistently championed the past few years
has been Mind Spiders. The Denton-based act is lead
by Mark Ryan, who is also in The Marked Men and High
Tension Wires. Mind Spiders started as Ryan’s solo
project and quickly gained national attention when
he released a four track EP in 2010. Last year he
followed the EP up with a self-titled full length,
which ended up being my favorite album of 2011.
Needless to say I was very excited when I received
their highly anticipated follow-up, Meltdown
(out on Dirtnap Records on February 21st). I just
got the record yesterday, so I’m still digesting it.
However, I can confidently say it will delight
current fans and pull in some new ones. So, what
does it sound like? It’s more straightforward rock
when compared to the punk pop and lo-fi psychedelic
songs of the last album. Previous Mind Spider
records were constructed piecemeal with Ryan
handling the instrumentation, but Meltdown
features a live backing band with not one, but two
drummers. I love dual drummers! The extra
percussions create a bigger sound with the rhythm
pushed to the forefront. There are also fewer
sub-two minute garage pop jams. These songs are
longer, heavier, and while they aren’t as bouncy,
they’re just as engaging.
The record is a bit of a departure from the past,
but there are some familiar elements on it. One is
the frequent mention of spiders in the lyrics. Also,
the songs still have a pop sensibility and Ryan
still manages to mix in experimentation and
unexpected twists (especially in the second half of
the record). Overall, it’s another impressive work
by a band I’m happy to recommend.
:Mind
Spiders - Wait On Us:
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