Dead Meadow "Old Growth" Matador Sounds like: They grew up amid the D.C. punk scene, liked stoner and psychedelic rock and then made a band ... Oh wait, they did.
They met as fans on the D.C. punk-show circuit. What they have produced in the 10 years since the group first banded together is a relatively solid discography without a solid name or reputation. The best their band has done so far is play second fiddle to indie legends Guided By Voices. They've yet to steal their own spotlight, but perhaps there's a reason why.
To be fair, while Dead Meadow is not a household name, it has a fairly solid (yet small) following and is supported by the label Matador, which counts Belle and Sebastian and Cat Power among its ranks of notable recording artists.
But it doesn't seem convincing. They know how to sing, they play guitar and they like making music. They know how to sound like a convincing freak-folk, neo-psychedelic band. But is that really enough? Listening to "Old Growth," you wonder what's coming next. And when it doesn't, you're frightfully disappointed.
It's not that there's anything wrong with the record; it's just that there isn't much spark. They name Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath among their influences, but it hardly conjures the excitement and fury of those bands. It's a sense of bored psychedelia, like burned out stoners who make music because they don't have anything better to do.
There are some brighter spots, like "Down Here" and "Seven Seers," both of which bring their sound out of the dead monotony of drum beat and guitar riff. Maybe it's a personal preference, but there needs to be an excitement factor, something that really stands out. And with Dead Meadows, that's hard to find.
The album isn't fun. It's tedious and tiring. Admittedly, every musical taste is apt to disagree with a review, and surely there are fans who would shoot me point-blank if I called Dead Meadow boring. But all the signs point toward average: No discernable sound or any special highlights and the fact that after eight releases, the band has yet to strike any type of major league praise.
Maybe my ears are broken, but maybe they're just tired and bored.
-ANDREW GARDNER
