Mineral
"Gloria"/"Parking Lot" 7" (self-released)
by Marc Hirsh
Mineral
"Gloria"/"Parking Lot" 7" (self-released)
by Marc Hirsh
originally published in the Public News, November 22, 1995
It's nice to see an indie band aiming more for drama than tragedy or farce. By avoiding the temptation to be Important, Mineral strikes it lucky.
Although Mineral's sound is that of a typical shoegazer band, its style isn't, sounding a bit like Antenna on a loose day. The songs keep the edges that the noise does away with. "Gloria," cruising along at a nifty pace, is the faster of the two. It's not until the other side, though, with "Parking Lot," that the band shows what it's capable of doing. Slowing things down, Mineral comes up aces and pulls off a credible rumbler that uses space and corners nicely before speeding up in an unforced way into a genuine climax.
The production is effective in giving the band as much room as they want without letting them go all over the map. It's no small achievement that Mineral sounds edgy and loose simultaneously.
Mineral is more promising than it is good at this stage, but since what they want is nobler than most, I'm willing to cut them a few breaks and wait to see where they go.