The Mulchmen
Louder Than Dirt, Thicker Than Mud
Big Beef Records, P.O. Box 303 WBB, Dayton OH 45409 andy@bigbeef.com
Release Date: 1997
El Caminos
Reverb Explosion
Del-Fi Records, P.O. Box 69188, Los Angeles CA 90069 del-fi@primenet.com
Release Date: 1997
Who says surf music all sounds alike? Well, most people, and more often than not they're right. But the latest releases by the Mulchmen and the El Caminos prove that the creature called surf can sound like anything from an opium den to an auto race.
The Mulchmen's Louder Than Dirt . . . is definitely the meatier of the two. These 14 tracks capture the very essence of quality surf rock. The sun, the sand, those are givens, but there's a darker side, too. Even the best wave can turn on you, and if it does, that brand new board might just leave splinters in your cranium.
It's easy to say the songs on Louder Than Dirt run the surf gamut, but what's more remarkable is that the Mulchmen show there's a gamut to be run in the often-repetitive world of the surf guitar. Many of the best tracks, such as "Bridge of Death" and "Flippin' Out," head inland for a taste of that rockabilly feel. The best track, however, is "Mudslide," which leads off the album with an effortless mix of gleeful conquest and impending doom.
These songs flirt with the types of superlatives that rock crits hate to use, but the fact remains that the Mulchmen have created a richly textured album that vaults onto the short list of instrumental albums that remain listenable and distinct from beginning to end.
The El Caminos, however, sometimes sound like the surf equivalent of a Sousa march. This kitsch-prone Japanese outfit's third release begins with an overdose of militaristic drum lines and machine-gun guitars. Thankfully, Reverb Explosion is one of those uncommon albums where the best songs are saved for last. It is loaded with covers of surf greats like The Sentinals and, of course, surf granddaddy Dick Dale.
But the El Caminos shouldn't be so modest. Their original "Death Race" is far and away the album's brightest moment, and the self-penned title track also ranks among the standouts. And don't forget the welcome addition of old-style electric organ to a few songs -- most notably the mildly psychedelic "Pachuko Soul" and the cover of Jimi Hendrix's (yes, that Jimi Hendrix) "Hornet's Nest."
-- Chris Schwartz
schwartz@outersound.com
