Album Review
Meat Wave - The Incessant
3 StarsA brutally honest record.
Meat Wave used to write about other people’s failings. The Chicago punk outfit’s previous releases doled out judgements on society and the state of the world, but on ‘The Incessant’, frontman Chris Sutter has turned his focus inwards. It’s a brutally honest record, the product of a catastrophic breakup and a near mental breakdown, a sonic representation of the all-pervading sense of anxiety Chris felt after the end of a twelve-year relationship. Album opener ‘To Be Swayed’ deals with indecisiveness and the impulse to run, its sharp riffs rapid as a panicked heartbeat. ‘Bad Man’ and ‘Run You Out’ are similarly self-eviscerating; ‘Bad Man’s choppy guitars and flailing percussion capture the sense that the band see themselves as the villain in their own story, while ‘Run You Out’ speaks of selfishness and solitude.
Elsewhere on the record, the Ella Fitzgerald-inspired ‘Birdland’ leads our protagonist’s transformation in lamenting a loss of innocence before acceptance creeps into the dark and disjointed instrumentals. Final track ‘Killing The Incessant’ ends the album on a defiant note, as Chris kills off his anxiety and comes to terms with his own perceived flaws. ‘The Incessant’ marks a turning point, as Meat Wave tackle their demons head on.
Read More
Meat Wave announce new 7” split with Lifestyles - hear the loved up ‘That’s Alright’
The band are currently on a US tour with Cursive.
23rd October 2018, 12:00am
Meat Wave share two new tracks, ‘Shame’ and ‘Dogs At Night’
It’s their first new material since last year’s ‘The Incessant’.
12th January 2018, 12:00am
Meat Wave unveil new track ‘The Incessant’
The Chicago trio have offered up a slice of the follow-up to last year's 'Delusion Moon'.
17th November 2016, 12:00am
Upbringing: Meat Wave
As the Chicago punks return to the UK, they dip into their musical influences and inspirations.
25th November 2015, 12:00am
With Bob Vylan, St Vincent, girl in red, Lizzy McAlpine and more.