Can't Slow Down To Think: A Quick Review Of The New Collection From Mercyland (David Barbe Of Sugar)

I know the youngs find it hard to believe, but there was hard and loud punk in this country before Nirvana took it mainstream. While David Barbe would eventually end up in Sugar with Bob Mould from Hüsker Dü, today we're looking back further than that and diving into the new collection of songs from Mercyland, David's band. Recorded between 1985 and 1987, these tracks are ambitious and energetic. While Bob Mould was off re-inventing punk with Grant Hart, David Barbe, Mark Craig, and Harry Joiner were, as Mercyland, cranking out their own brand of catchy hard rock.

"Amerigod" roars out of the gate, offering something similar to what Soul Asylum were doing in the same era, while "Black on Black on Black" is more interesting still. Clearly influenced by The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers, the song is bracingly upbeat, and a nice reminder of how there was room for this kind of fiery tunefulness in punk here before grunge kind of killed the mood a bit. While "Western Guns" is more Strummer and Jones-inspired stuff, the chaos of "Can't Slow Down to Think" seems to be drawing more from Metal Circus than London Calling.

Mercyland is a fun listen. If you're aware of this band, it's a nice way to get select sides and singles collected finally. If you've only ever read about the group, this is a good listen. For those of us who were teeneagers borderline obsessed with Hüsker Dü in these same years, it's cool to finally hear similar material being played with so much joyous fury from a group from another part of the country. Fans of Soul Asylum, Big Dipper, Volcano Suns, and early Superchunk, will love this Mercyland compilation.

Mercyland by Mercyland is out now via Propeller Sound Recordings. Details below too.

[Photo: Jim Tremayne]