By: Andrew Olson
Reader Weekly & www.thefountainheads.com
Lester Bangs once wrote about how Black Sabbath boiled the music of the Mop Top, Hand holding, Fab Four generation to it’s resinous form and called it "noise". That "noise" has dominated music ever since. The best indication is that MTV’s most popular show contains that same singer that Mr. Bang’s once revered. Aneuretical carries the torch to young people today like other bands before, capturing a continued anger and staccato guitar that defines teen angst. They also find a moment where "noise" marries music.
Their new sophomore CD, titled When You Were A Kid, is a fresh young underground sound. This album is also a tale of two songwriters and different music. Aneuretical is made up of Noah Paster on drums, Matt Sandstedt on vocals and bass, and Ian Anderson doing guitar and vocals. The majority of songs were written by Matt Sandstedt with Ian Anderson lending his talents to highlight the album with three of his own.
The CD opens with "Something On Mute" and forms the overall sound of the band. That sound is one of Sum 41, a pinch of Cloud Cult, and Ozzy Osborne singing vocals. Immediately Aneuretical establishes themselves and whisk the listener into a nicely produced album (Voted in the Top 10 by The Pioneer Press in 2004). "Hampers are Hideouts" really gives the feel of Matt Sandstedt’s "noise", highlighting dark solos and instrumentals with a dash of Modest Mouse.
The song, "I was mauled by a Bear on Bear Safety Awareness Day" talks about a, "Great escape, We're headed north to the iron range, Two hours late - making headway, We spend the winter holiday, Where Christmas wreaths adorn doorways, Affections served on paper plates." A nice connection to the Northland in a song that is less comical and more about an affectionate searching for meaning. The next verse talks about, "He takes these trips alone, cause no one will go with him. The tape deck covers up, the thoughts that might undo him, So it's concealed underneath, as he's picking up the speed, He's trying not to think of what it is he didn't see." Ian Anderson whirls around on guitar escaping the Iron Range where he moves into the "Little Red House down". Fast racing lyrics try to catch up to quick beats on the guitar and metal power-chords. We are then given the first of two intermissions on the album. A slow strumming on guitar and repetitive background noises give the feeling of entering a building of fear. The two intermissions were two of the three songs written by Ian Anderson on this CD and highlight the best written music of When You Were A Kid. Between the two intermissions are the songs "Changes In Hue" and "CO". Both continue the same format of minimal lyrics and staccato guitar that Matt Sandstedt emphasizes in his songs. After the second intermission was the best song of the CD and possibly from a Minnesota band last year?
The third song on the CD written by Ian Anderson and the only one with lyrics "Participation Points" is a hit! Same drum beat that rides the CD, but the bass and singing grab you. The lyrics are a mix of insightful and poetic harmonies, telling the listener, "I’ve been searching for all my misplaced trust, so I followed my guts and gave in too much, but it wasn’t love, it was just lust." The song searches into the questions that plague every young mind and fit the music like a marriage of Faith to Reality. The singing on this song steal the CD and when the next two songs fly by you want to go back and hear it one more time. It is a diamond in the rough and makes the CD worth buying. Where the other songs are great music to feel teen angst and at times wonder if it is the video game background music that is popular today Participation Points is a genuine hit, a perfect blend of music to noise. It is the sound of today not what you accept, but what you hope for.
It’s no wonder that Aneuretical is moving up through the rock scene today so quickly. On one hand you have the popular modern "noise" that is banging away on kids headphones as they trudge home from school hating life and not knowing what it is about yet. Then on the other hand you have some insightful songwriting that captures the wonder and amusement that music lovers held hands to and later burned and dripped into their ears.
