Songs From Under the Sink

Mischief Brew describes the 14-track album Songs From Under the Sink as a “collection of anthems, ballads, marches, love songs, hate songs, and lullabies” written over five years, from 1997 to 2002. It is a “lost LP,” resurrected or “finally brought up from the cellar-or, from under the sink.” These descriptors help identify this album as being a non-identifiable hodge-podge of sorts, with a variety of distinct sounds. Some are “hot and spicy, some are just as fresh as the day they were written, and others may have passed their expiration date a bit. But that’s what happens when you clean out your cupboards.”

That sounds just about right. From the opening track “Thanks, Bastards,” with its raspy vocals and jabs at the political establishment, to the forceful lines “Fuck the city, burn it down” on “Save A City” to the jaunty sounds on “Gratitude and Thanks” and “All Our Comrades” and a folksy version of “Midnight Special” complete with cowbell – this album is the whole spice rack and then some. The lyrics on this album are politically charged throughout, but are heartfelt and not didactic. Most if not all of the songs are about some kind of rebellion, be it against The State or a state of things.

The more I listened to the album, the more impressed I became with the influence of a multitude of musical styles. What you’ll notice is how easy the songs are to listen to, learn the words, and sing along with. If you already know you have a predilection for olde-tyme-folk-punk-Celtic-gypsy-jazz, and even if you don’t, I am willing to bet you will find yourself swaying along to the lullabies and kicking your feet up in celebration for the marches.

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