Published on Jan 16, 1999
Imagine this: You’re a member of a very talented trio. You’ve
been toiling at your craft for well over a decade. During that
time, you’ve produced a respectable name for yourself, playing in
bars, small clubs and charity events. And after years of playing in
these confined, sweaty places and breaking more guitar and bass
strings than you can remember, you’re rewarded with a record
contract.
And after being signed to that record contract, you even manage
to land in the “Hot Upcoming Bands” section of
Rolling Stone in their year-end issue. Things only get
better. You snag a power producer who has made at least one college
radio classic. Then, all of a sudden, you hit the ceiling.
The record label decides that rock is no longer as profitable as
some other music genres and decides to drop nearly all of the bands
on their label, including yours. You begin to endure the flags of
red tape as you and your bandmates get passed along to other
companies like a beer bong at a frat party. And to rub dust in your
eyes, you wind up having to
buy
back the record you made with that producer and put it out
independently – all the while, remaining optimistic that your all
too brief brush with the big leagues won’t be your last.
This saga is poured out on Mercy Rule’s latest album
The Flat Black Chronicles, an album that almost never made
it to fans’ ears. Though not a concept album, the album itself has
a general theme of what it means to be a band struggling to break
out. And in a weaker sense, the theme also involves the perspective
of a music fan.
The trio, made up of husband and wife Heidi Ore on bass and Jon
Taylor on guitar, also features Ron Albertson on drums. They have
specialized in making tight, catchy pop songs with equally strong
vocals. And after getting singed to Relativity (same label that
featured Joe Satriani), the band hooked up with producer Lou
Giordano.
Giordano is no stranger to bands with power pop smarts. Some
bands that have worked with him include the Goo Goo Dolls and
Sugar. The producer that gave
Copper Blue, its slick, dirty brilliance matched with Ore’s
powerful vocals and Taylor’s driving guitars seemed like a logical
pairing.
And it works.
The Flat Black Chronicles is Mercy Rule’s best moments on CD
so far. It wastes no time hooking you in. “Underwhelmed,” hits you
with Taylor’s tight, short guitar hooks as the song is in the
perspective of a fan who blows a night as well as some cash to
catch a band. “You better make this worth my time right now/ or I’m
gonna have to show you how,” Ore sings with a threatening tone.
It’s message is clear: put up or shut up.
The album doesn’t let up for a while. “Spark” and “b4u” follow
in the same vein as “Underwhelmed.” Taylor continuously shows his
guitar craft, especially in the galloping opening chords of “b4u,”
which also features a horn arrangement. While few rock bands can
add horns without making their arrangements seem bloated, Giordano
keeps them in the background, never allowing them to overshadow the
band.
The album slows down a tad with “In A Box,” a decent ballad that
never seems to fully resonate. By adding a piano, the track seems
to be one of the more over-produced songs in the bunch. The other
ballad on the album, “Whatever Happens,” is far more powerful.
The band’s bitterness with record companies and general trends
explodes on two of the most hard-rocking songs on the album, “ksuk”
and “Break The Band.” The former song deals with radio stations who
listen more to focus groups than the general concern of the
listeners while the latter song deals with companies who shun
nurturing a promising band in favor of a quick profit. Gee, think
these tracks may be autobiographical? “Break The Band” is also one
of the few songs on
Flat Black were Anderson is free to let loose on the
drums.
The album ends on a satisfying one-two punch. The anti-image
song, “Simple Word,” includes one of the great sing-along lines of
the year as Ore screams, “Let me be who I want to be!” over and
over as the structured sound of the band breaks down after 40
minutes of discipline. And the hidden track is an amusing anecdote
of a all-night drive that far too many people can probably relate
to.
Ore’s pregnancy during the recording of
Flat Black may be the key reason her voice sounded so full.
It could also be attributed to Giordano’s studio skills. Either
way,
Flat Black is Ore’s best hour. And while it’s not on A&M
or Virgin, the album is available on Caulfield Records, a record
company whose staff helped Mercy Rule out of the Lincoln club
circuit as well as welcomed them back.