Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Brick Mower - Under the Sink (2011, Viking On Campus) - A brief evaluation

In this all too fleeting mortal coil we call "life," we have beverages that "go down easy," movies that "feel good," and gloves that, well, "fit like a glove."  And then there are albums like Under the Sink by central New Jersey's Brick Mower, that wholly exude the comfortable, worn-in aesthetic of those aforementioned catch phrases.  I think you can see where I'm going with this.  In fact, even the most cursory scan of Under the Sink will provide ample evidence of BM's homespun, noisenik approach to the usually mundane, but once glorious beast known as punk-pop.  Fortunately, this lovingly ramshackle trio are here to restore some of that genre's glory, brandishing amped-out axe-squalls aplenty.  I'd be remiss if I failed to mention that ...Sink provides more than your daily dose of off-key, albeit well intended harmonies, hearkening back to such mid-fi, small-of-fame indie troupes as Gaunt, Archers of Loaf, Lynyrds Innards, and Not Rebecca.  The overall mood encompassing these eleven little ditties ranges from nascently raw to bubbly, leading one to ponder if Brick Mower are cutting their collective teeth or simply baring them to anyone willing to lend a curious eye or ear.  You can hear for yourselves by heading over to their humble Myspace page or better yet, by picking up your very own hard copy of Under the Sink over at Big Cartel at a bargain basement price.

1 comment:

justjessie said...

They are playing some shows this summer with Black Wine, one of my favorite NJ bands. - Mark