brick mower – under the sink lp

One of my favorite current bands in New Jersey today, Brick Mower brings me back to the days of trying to write high school term papers, while daydreaming of being in my very own alt rock indie band.  This talented 3 piece kicks out the jams that will get your fists pumping, and have you drunkenly yelping along to their catchy tunes.    I dive right into the first song on “Under the Sink,” and I must say it is not a favorite of mine.  The chords are strange and I’m not too into it.  This may be a song that I grow to love though.  I am very fanatical about things sounding right, and well, it drives me insane when it doesn’t.  There are some exceptions to the rule though, and eventually “Tuxedo Bitch” might be one of them.  The second song, “Slow Too Fast” comes right in and is a heavy hitter.  It is definitely a step up from the first song.  Lots of loud, distorted guitars intertwined with a steady drum beat.  I can pick up the Superchunk influence in this song, and I love the little bass solo.  It’s a quick one, but really catchy.  This may be my favorite song on the album.  “Weaving”, “Voula’s Lament”, and “Instant Rectification” are all upbeat, straight forward rock songs that keep the record flowing as it moves along.  “Voula’s Lament” stands out to me with the back and forth guitar and bass in the beginning, and continues to captivate me with a really catchy chorus and solid melody.  I’m halfway through the record and it is starting to envelop me.  “Garden Variety” has a strange melody and chugs right along.  Makes me want to throw my arms up in the air, and dance around like a fool.  In fact, I think I may have done this a couple of times the last time I saw this band.  “Lungs Can’t Handle” keeps the record rolling.  This hard-hitting rock song with repetitive, jolty lyrics makes me want to hit someone in the shoulder (no apologies, man!).  The short instrumental bridge really adds something to the song.  “Radiator” slows things down for a bit.  Eric must have been channeling Sebadoh when writing this song.  The fuzzed out bass is absolutely fantastic as it weaves in and out of the delicate guitar melody.  Eric’s vocals remind me of a mix between Eric Gaffney and Lou Barlow, which contributes to the whole Sebadoh feeling the song emanates.  The album comes to an end with such songs as “Looks Like What Gives”, “Cowboy in a Nutshell”, and “Sea to Function”.  The longest song on the album, breaking the 4 minute mark is “Cowboy in a Nutshell”.  I think this is a great song, but think it could have gotten the point across if it had been a bit shorter.  The clever lyrics mixed with Eric’s gritty vocals really make the song interesting.  The crazy instrumental ending is cool, but again, a bit drawn out and could have been shortened.  Just the opinion of one song writer to another.  We finally come to the last song on the album, which is one of my favorites live.  The chorus is so infectious and I find it gets stuck in my head all the time.  I’m not sure I would have ended the album with this song, but it’s super fun to bounce around a basement to.  All in all, I think this is a pretty solid first album for Brick Mower.  Kudos guys and gal!  If you would like to check out the band, you can hear all their current releases here: http://brickmower.bandcamp.com.  You can also purchase this album through the band or viking on campus records which I have listed a link under record label to your right.