Given that their name is so vague yet describes the music on the nose, American Music Club is a moderately underground band fabricated of rock, folk, country, and hints of jazz and lounge and branding their distinctiveness with the haunted, emotional vocals of Mark Eitzel. Those who are familiar with the band probably know their trademark cd, Everclear, which almost garunteed future commercial success for the quintet with Reprise records. Through releasing Mercury, they pretty much blew a giant hole in their ship leading to mainstream popularity (which reminds me of when Faith No More released their left field record Angel Dust) and thank god they did because just as Angel Dust was extremely popular amongst its fans, this cd holds the same caliber in its own respect.
After hearing the first song, you've probably already turned off all lights in visibility. As you could guess, this cd is purely a run-off of the most melancholy tales Eitzel could muster. Hell, even Everclear had its upbeat moments; don't expect any on this cd.
Flowing fluidly into the second song, you're given a groove that makes you sway, while the lyrics make you reminisce about all the lost good times you've had, but the music somehow makes it seem ok you'll never see happiness again 8D This dies quickly during the next song as you're instantly thrown into a subtle chaos of jazz beats and distorted echoes with the lyrics begging for a beautiful death. This is easily the fastest song on the cd as is breaks down into a song of heartbreak. The performance by the whole band on this song is extremely raw and vulnerable, and though the lyrics are simple, they'll stab you in the heart if you have one:
I've been a mess since you've been gone
Your beauty is just a slap in the face that's gonna bring me back to life
Back to another sky that's blue
It's gonna turn me into another great American zombie
So hungry for you
The next song goes beautifully with this as the music is shaky and almost droning while still maintaining a steady beat as the lyrics point out the constant failure of love between two people:
What happens to the rat that stops running the maze?
The doctor's think it's dumb when it's just disappointed
I meant it when I said I would never see you again
But no matter how dumb I get, there's one thing I'll always do
I'll always believe you
Once again the vocal performance is painfully honest. If I could describe how seamlessly this record flows, it would be as smooth as Vaseline on the belly of the girl you sleep with in your dreams....anyhoo.
This is an album that could easily be listenable for anyone, as half of you will enjoy the simplicity and subtle power of the music while the other half will get that and the tissue box from all the damage of past relationships and distorted love letters. This is possibly one of the most honest and professional bands that no one knows about so why not give it a chance? Depending on who you are, it may have to grow on you but as long as you enjoy good ol' rock music with some passion, there's no reason you can't enjoy this.
Stand-out Tracks:
I've Been A Mess
Hollywood 4-5-92
What Godzilla Said When His Name Wasn't Found In The Book Of Life
Apology For An Accident
