Mark Arm created grunge. Though that music scene is often associated with flannel, torn jeans and Kurt Cobain, it was the band Mudhoney’s frontman who receives credit for first applying the term “grunge” to the gritty rock music sprouting out of the Pacific Northwest. Mudhoney may not have enjoyed the critical and commercial success of Nirvana or Pearl Jam, but anonymity has served the Seattle-based group well, allowing Mudhoney to continue to grow artistically without burning out.
The band’s latest offering, The Lucky Ones, was recorded in a matter of days, but the result sounds as spontaneous as a gig. Rather than indulge in overproduction or unnecessary instrumentation, the album hones in on commanding rhythms and lyrics catchy enough to have the listener catch on and sing along even during the first listen. Without flashy elements to get in the way, Mudhoney is able to stick to the basics of great grunge/punk music: punchy lyrics, fuzzy guitars and a pounding rhythm section.
The album opens with “I’m Now,” an accurate statement coming from a band that has continued to shape its sound for two decades. “The past made no sense / The future looks tense,” Mark Arm, the band’s frontman, growls on the track, but the two time periods are bridged by Mudhoney basking in an album with consistent pace without getting boring. “The Open Mind” revels in the political side of punk, while “Tales of Terror” documents insecurities experienced at any age.
Though Mudhoney’s sound has evolved, the band is at its best when soaked in distortion, sounding as though they are smirking and waiting to kick younger bands off the stage. Effortlessly, these rock veterans have created a timeless record that would take other bands weeks or months to polish. In “New Meaning,” the album’s closer, Arm wails, “I’ve got new meaning, baby / Don’t you take it away.” If The Lucky Ones is any indication, it would be a tough fight to try to dismiss Mudhoney’s continued impact upon grunge and punk music.
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Track Names
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I’m Now
Inside Out Over You
The Lucky Ones
Next Time
And the Shimmering Light
The Open Mind
What’s This Thing?
Running Out
Tales of Terror
We Are Rising
New Meaning
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Artist: Album
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Mudhoney: The Lucky Ones
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Genre
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Rock
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More Information
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http://www.myspace.com/mudhoney
http://www.mudhoney.net
