Reviewed by Jim Coursey Released: 1980 Popular Mechanix Popular Mechanix Genre: Post Punk Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Highlights: When I’m Away 1969 Popular Mechanix don’t appear to have made a broad impact, but I can easily imagine being a fan if I were of age and living in their Winnipeg hometown circa 1980. Their self-titled debut album is filled with taut, fast-paced post-punk that would fit on a bill with XTC, early Talking Heads, Television, or the Minutemen. Unfortunately, while songs like “Ice Box City” and “Oil Daddy” bring fresh perspectives to the mostly urban punk world, the songs themselves were mostly forgettable. They not only lack anything as unforgettable as “Waiting for Nigel”, “Psycho-Killer” but don't even match an album track by one of those bands, nor are they as entertainingly spasmodic as the Minutemen. (Ditto “Fun To Be Dumb” which sounds like second-rate Devo.) The vocals are a mixed bag as well. While the performances are mostly good, a lot of vocals just get buried in the mix and rendered completely indistinct. They don’t carry the songs, which need whatever help they can get. One key exception is the excellent “1969”, which I find to be completely catchy and well-written. The chord structure is quite clever, playing with tension and release reminiscent of a slightly funkier Mission of Burma song. Sadly the vocals here are weaker than elsewhere, maybe sung by a different band-member, or maybe the lead singer’s voice was shot when he tracked it. It’s a disappointment because the vocals take this late gem down a notch. Still, if you are a fan of the genre this one may be worth a spin. Nothing is bad, nothing is great (although “1969” comes close), and I look forward to their 1982 album in case they get the songwriting down and polish up their sound just enough to make it stick.
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