Philly band Mesh are taking big cues from The Clean and a lot of other cool bands. Their new album, No Fun at All, their first in a few years, is one of this week's best indie releases too.
"Hold On To" roars out of the gate like mid-Nineties Superchunk with a dash of the Kilgour brothers' stuff running through the veins of the song. It's a little rough, but it's catchy and direct. "Violent Peasant" has the appeal of early Parquet Courts about it, the angular hooks here smartly done. Elsewhere, "Boots on the Pavement" continues that same vibe, this with a hint of British punk in its attack. "Atrophy", a real highlight here, finds Allison Durham taking over on vocals from Sims Hardin. The brittle rush of the track is a delight. You could probably compare this to about a dozen great records in your collection, and that's fine, but Mesh are really commanding their own space here on the best numbers on No Fun at All
Mesh make American indie that really takes a listener back to an era when acts like this could have probably gained more traction. That said, No Fun at All is super-listenable, and surely the sort of thing that's going to get a lot of attention from hip, smart listeners. Get in on the Mesh wave now, folks, is what this reviewer is saying loudly!
No Fun at All by Mesh is out on Friday. Details below.
[Photo: Mesh Bandcamp]