MERMEN
The Amazing California Health &
Happiness Road Show (Mesa)
Reviewed by Jason Thornberry

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Pointed, angsty, and at times dark, atmospheric music. If you've never happened upon the Mermen before, they're a instrumental surf outfit specializing in keeping the genre from becoming bogged down by its own standards. You've got Man…Or Astro-man, who cross-pollinate the earth with their never-ceasing-as-of-yet output, a group that makes the word 'prolific' just lose its meaning. Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet mined similar territory (they did the theme to 'Kids In The Hall'), and the Torquays play it much straighter, hearkening back to the days of the Ventures (who's own Nokie Edwards joined them briefly) or the Surfaris, with their matching suits, blonde amps, Fender Mustangs, and a more literal approach to surf. In a genre such as this, it pays to have these bands around to keep the scene from becoming stagnant, and having it parody itself eventually. The Mermen could be the Hawkwind of beach-jams. More experimental, and prone to using instruments that aren't heard in this kind of music much: djembe percussion, keyboards, pedal steel, congas, and autoharp. A soothing, ethereal vibe emanates from this record. The kind of CD to just relax to.

© 2000 - Jason Thornberry