Published on Jul 2, 2001
Alternative rock is not the commercial slop we’re forced to
listen to on certain radio stations day in and day out, nor is it a
style of music with a label slapped on it by a music conglomerate.
Alternative rock is a style all its own, gleefully creating its own
noise and choosing whether or not to give the finger to traditional
musical mores.
I know. I was in “college radio” at the start of the ’90s, when
“alternative” began to become the buzzword of the industry. And
it’s been a while since I heard a truly “alternative” album… that
is, until I popped
I Blame You by Michael Shelley into the CD player. Shelley’s
“do it yourself” attitude (recording most of the disc in his New
York apartment) has a freshness about it that is sorely lacking in
so many commercial “alternative” albums. Blasting through 12 songs
in about 35 minutes, Shelley shames some of the pretenders to the
throne.
Of course, Shelley has some natural advantages on his side – not
the least of which is a rhythm section which includes Dennis Diken
from The Smithereens. First and foremost, Shelley has a twisted
sense of humor – not necessarily a must in the field of alternative
music, but something which sure is helpful in the songwriting
department. “Let’s Fall In Hate” is a prime example of this skewed
view of the world, finding a different way for a couple to work out
their differences. Likewise, “Dear Mr. Webster” is a keeper on this
disc, as our hero pens a letter to the “author” of the dictionary,
chiding him for forgetting to include a word which describes the
girl he pines for.
There is not a moment on
I Blame You which sags from any kind of weakness. Even the
light kick towards country (“Don’t Fence Me Out”), the brief
instrumental break (“Rollo”) and the songs about young love (“Mix
Tape”) only serve to build up this disc’s strengths. Shelley truly
is a breath of fresh air, and these songs are like oxygen which
fuels Shelley’s creative fire.
I Blame You is the kind of disc which is almost guaranteed
to become an underground success – but in keeping with the spirit
of alternative music, wouldn’t it be something if the people who
flip for this disc shared the experience with their friends, and
got them into Shelley and his music? Consider this my small part in
the process;
I Blame You is an album that you have to experience. Here’s
hoping Shelley becomes a bonafide star; he deserves it.