Smaller Monsters – The Trade
We used to have great hopes for musicians who couldn’t or refused to try and figure out the business course book handed out by record labels after every meeting. Dedicating one’s life to writing potentially great songs and travelling the world to hear them used to be a badge of honour. And finally, achieving a measure of success was the ultimate act of rebellion.
Those days of innocence are nearly gone, save for a few wonderful, slightly maddened artists. The corporations invested, bought everything and ruined it all for everyone, including themselves. When bands who’ve broken up do reunite, they never do it in their garage for the enjoyment of playing together, but in front of the cameras and for big bucks. Who can you trust?
I’d trust Smaller Monsters with my wallet and my time. The sweetened punk rock makes me think of bands like Soul Asylum. “The Trade” is a great, memorable song. And, if they can produce more like this, they are bound to run into a man wearing a suit and representing a big record label soon enough. But Smaller Monsters sound like they’re enjoying each other’s company, playing for fun, and writing good songs along the way. When the big ship does pull in, it might as well be because of that, not because of the label’s investments.
Sleeps While Walking – No One’s Fool
People just love a serious problem as long as the only way that they’ll interact with it is by reading about it or seeing it depicted in a movie. In fact, regular folks will pay big bucks to see actors recreate these kinds of problems for their enjoyment. They’ll cry when the script talks of the hero succumbing to their issues, and they’ll cheer if they manage to overcome them.
But how many regular folks would do the same in their real lives? How many people actually can stand being close to someone dealing with terrible, life-altering issues and spare a word of encouragement or give some assistance? If you’re dealing with things that are wearing you down, it’s likely that you’ll find understanding and energy to give you courage from songs alone, not people.
Sleeps While Walking’s “No One’s Fool” is a minimalist piece of emotionally tinged alternative rock. The song manages to be memorable by moving straight to the point, cutting off any excess fat and singing its chorus like a mantra for anyone in need of hearing it. Hypnotic and stubbornly lo-fi, “No One’s Fool” is the arm around the shoulder and the necessary kick in the back that many might need.
