Okay...this isn't a new cd, as it came out in 1995 (I was a sophomore when it was released), despite what CDnow says...remember kids, CDnow is only good for one thing...getting things wrong.
Mineral / The Power Of Failing
Crank! Records, 1995

I could qualify it as new given that I recently rediscovered this album, but I'll keep calling it old and start doing 'way back reviews' of older albums from various artists...or I won't, who can tell? What prompted me to dust this emo-core classic off was a chance encounter with the music of another Texas band, End of Delia (out of Tyler, if I'm not mistaken). Hearing the rawness of emotion, the power of youth and the confusion of life in the tracks by Delia sent me scanning the mental archives for other such bands that already had a home in my music collection. The two that came to mind immediately were Boy's Life and Mineral...the two bands that opened my eyes to emo-core before I even knew what the hell it was (I thought it was pussy rock for horn-rimmed, goodwill sweater wearing, college-aged indie kids...turns out that I fit that mold pretty damn well...good for me). On the one hand, I had straightforward style of Mineral, and on the other I had the more visceral approach of Boy's Life, and while I enjoy both bands, I sometimes find the Boy's to be a little less accessible mood-wise. All things being equal, Delia is more on par with Mineral (it probably has something to do with both hailing from the same general locale...if you can call two different cities in the same state a locale), so I went with that.

If you're thinking to yourself "for a review of Mineral, he sure is talking about other bands an awful lot", you're right...but I'm doing it because I hold Boy's Life in high regard, and I'm rapidly becoming addicted to Delia (even though I can't find a fucking thing about them on the internet or in any record shops I frequent), so you should listen to them too. No more mentions of other bands...not for a while at least.

I'm ashamed to admit that I hadn't really listened to this album in almost a year and a half...sure, I ran to it for a few choice tracks on a mix tape or two, but I hadn't sit down and let myself become wrapped up in the simple beauty of this album. There are some issues relating to the sound quality of the album, with many of the tracks coming across as sometimes muted/sometimes muddled; however, if you turn off any 'bass boosting' or surround-sound you got goin on and let loose the volume, or slap on a pair of studio monitor headphones and drop it from stereo to mono, the music/vocals come out alright. That may sound like a lot of trouble for one album by some obscure band on some obscure label, but it's worth it. If you're into emo-essentials like The Get Up Kids, Promise Ring, Jimmy Eat World or Knapsack, then you owe it to your ears to at least give Mineral a listen.

While the music isn't as masterfully layered or progressive as Modest Mouse or At The Drive-In, and it doesn't have the added quirkiness of keyboards and synthesizers like Reggie and the Full Effect or Promise Ring, the stripped down approach of Mineral is refreshing and very distinctive. Christopher Simpson (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Gomez (bass), Scott McCarver (guitar) and Gabriel Wiley (drums) managed to help define a sound that would later become the impetus for terms such as 'tissue kids' (a sometimes hateful phrase thrown around by those who either harbor a severe disdain for emo or know very little about it). Given the frequent use of tender, fragile lyrics and the affected nature with which Christopher delivers them, that's not very surprising.

The songs are varied, ranging from somber, quieter valve tuggers to full-force ventricle sluggers. Gloria is a heavy-handed affair that leaves the listener feeling as though they too have a thing for some girl named Gloria, but can't do anything about it. Dolorosa is heart wrenching...the sing-screaming, the repetition of the prayer-like lyrics, the guitar work that traipses around the issue only to pounce just in time to push the lyrics past the eardrums and into the super-ego. The work of the bassist is ever-present in all songs and is consistently solid, which allows for the guitars and drums to go off and do their own thing, adding a real chaotic touch of jam-band to the emotional mix.

Shitty bands use the music to hide their lyrics. Good bands use the music to aide the lyrics in selling the drama. Wonderful bands can leave the music to itself and have it tell the story without any words at all. Mineral falls in the latter category with The Power Of Failing, and while they may not have any purely instrumental tracks, just one listen to the near-unbearable (not because it's crap, but because it's damned painful...especially when you can relate) If I Could to understand that the lyrics aren't even close to being necessary...as for the lyrics, they get across the passion that the songwriter feels for a girl, the immediacy and importance of the emotions for said girl and the duality of said emotions for said girl. Most of the tracks pull off such feats of alternating between a quiet reserve and jet-engine power, while never delving into the dangerous waters of repetition (except Dolorosa which does it on purpose). July hits home yet again with an homage to the frustration of youth and the indifference of an entire generation. The dreamlike instrumentalism and beauty of the lyrics on Take The Picture Now are enough to send shivers down the spine of anyone who takes the time to immerse themselves in the song. Then there's Parking Lot rounding things out...the first Mineral song I ever heard (roughly 3 or 4 years ago) while kickin it up at CD World. Without a doubt, this is my absolute favorite of all their songs...the desperation of the music, the cry to a higher power to take it all away and make it all better and the thought of post-mortem scorn make good on thoughts I've held mostly silent for years.

This is an album that helped to shape the future of my musical tastes and has taken it's place in several rotations during two or three re-readings of Catcher In The Rye...that's quite a compliment coming from me, considering how dearly I hold that book.

note: if you want to see some lyrics, you'll be best served to go here. if you want to read more about the band that was, go here.