No precious folk-pop act has ever said, “You know what name would really sum up our use of banjo? Meat Wave.” It’s guaranteed that a band with that moniker is going to be in your face, and this Chicago three-piece fittingly makes lo-fi, scorching and aggressive punk that manages the difficult feat of coming off as both abrasive and likable.
On “Delusion Moon,” Meat Wave’s second proper full-length, following its 2012 self-titled debut, the relentless energy and frontman Chris Sutter’s snotty-but-not-obnoxious sneer might seem like an uninhibited blast until you notice the subject matter: This is a faux-concept album about everyone (including yourself) seeming absolutely insane. From the start, the title track jumps right into a pool of anxiety with foreboding lines like, “Delusion moon/sun’s never coming up” and “Delusion moon/self-employed inside job.” It exudes that uneasy feeling that you’re stuck and don’t know what you’re doing.
Throughout, the album lingers at the edge of frayed nerves. From failed attempts to connect with someone (“I guess it’s on to the next megabyte/the light of my life through the screen late night” on the soul-crushing “Network”) to adding philosophy jokes about uncertainty on “Cosmic Zoo” (“Kantian doubt has done ‘n dug me a ditch/and my brain knows it”), the lacerating themes match the consistently flailing instrumentation of wildly banged drums and thumping bass. Sometimes, though, this constant barrage fails to turn needed anger into listenable anger. “Witchcraft” doesn’t really get going until its kind-of-funny reveal, “I never meant to throw your computer out the window.” And the endlessly repeating guitar riff on “I Was Wrong” sounds like a descent into madness—which, to be fair, the band probably meant, but it works too well and is tough to endure.
While “Delusion Moon” is a clear graduation for a band that paid its dues bouncing around the city’s vibrant DIY scene, the unpredictability and physicality of a sweat-soaked basement show is still crudely intact due to the band’s bassist/sound engineer Joe Gac recording the album live. With few, barely noticeable overdubs, songs like “Vacation”—the only lighthearted effort, literally about a summer trip—and the wailing “Erased” make enough noise that you’re sure to feel like you’re front row at the Empty Bottle.
3.5 stars (out of four)
[email protected], @joshhterry
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