05: Mini Album Reviews: Meat Puppets II/ The Meat Puppets; Antics/ Interpol

Meat Puppets II/ The Meat Puppets

It’s hard not to admire an album that helped so silently paved a road that would change music as we know it. Following their punk rock impulses, Arizona’s The Meat Puppets paid close attention to detail with their second album, simply titled II. It has an SST label, but a style that was anything but. Tingled with instrumental arrangements- the music gives the listener a vivid art-rock mirage, a taste of the southwest, as opposed to a stranglehold attitude-enforced hardcore trampling. They could do that, but perhaps they learned somewhere along the line that punk is just how you perceive it. Two absolute great post-punk rock songs live here- “Plateau” and “Lake of Fire”, which appear 10 years later on a Nirvana album too obvious to mention. This album is almost as flawless as an SST album could be, but in the abundant underground year that was 1984, The Meat Puppets settle for a silent plateau to stand on.
Overall Rating: 9.7/ 10

Antics/ Interpol

Who knew Interpol could do catchy? Antics is almost confusing at first. You know it’s Interpol, but something is mysteriously missing. Oh, yeah, it’s the mystery. The intensity of Turn on the Bright Lights, a decade classic, is achieved through it’s hazy forefront of brilliance mainly the rhythm section provides. Antics, on the other hand, pulls this off in a style more than substance. But, a style all their own. Interpol, like so many bands, had a lot to live up to after their debut affair. This album is grand at times, with heavy hooks. A good job, disguising their sound in a more radio friendly package. After this they will never, ever be compared to Joy Division again. But, I guess a band being compared to Interpol ten years from now ain’t so bad.
Overall Rating: 8/ 10