There are certain albums or artists that cannot escape their backstories. Take, for example, the ever-elusive Jandek, who has released dozens of albums through the mail from a random Houston address and has only performed a handful of times in his career. Then there’s M.I.A., whose father and mother are almost given more importance than the music she creates. In fact, more often than not, these stories sensationalize the artist, making their mediocre or downright awful music seem more artistic or important. The Wrens’ 2003 album is one of those albums whose story has to be told. Fortunately, the album is also one that absolutely must be heard!
Forming in the late 1980s and releasing their first two albums via Grass Records, The Wrens were an indie band on the outskirts. They had a moderate following, but nothing too outstanding. After their 1996 release, Secaucus, Grass Records came under new leadership with a new vision of mass appeal, and even greater profits. The Wrens, whose raw underground rock sound didn’t conform to the label’s grand visions, refused to change their sound and were eventually left without a label. Grass Records soon became Wind-Up Records, home to huge successes like Creed, Finger Eleven, and Evanescence. The Wrens went silent. Without a record label, work on their next album went by slowly. Very slowly. By 2003 most of their small fanbase had moved on, but it was in this year, 7 years after their most recent release, that The Wrens returned with The Meadowlands; a masterpiece of indie and alternative rock.
The story is inspiring to say the least, but it is not the whole reason for appeal. The music contained on this album is absolutely breathtaking! Every track, every second is filled with memories of hope, regret, pain, and beauty. Songs range from heartbreaking ballads like “She Sends Kisses,” – one of my absolute favorite songs, ever – to the uptempo, yet depressing thoughts on the process of making music (“This Boy is Exhausted”). Every song feels raw and unpolished, yet I can’t find a single thing worth changing on the entire album. It is a testament to the 4 years of work that went into The Meadowlands.
The band’s lyrics are often pretty disjointed fragments that you have to put together yourself. It’s as if you’re given a puzzle that’s missing some pieces and it’s your job to imagine what goes in the empty spaces. There are songs about breakups that you can’t shake, feeling trapped in your own life, silly sexual encounters, and pointless relationships. The remarkable thing about every one of them is the amount of musicianship that goes into it all. Each song maintains a certain amount of sing-along-ability, with absolutely infectious vocal melodies. Some less so than others, sure, but everything here is worth listening to, worth making a big deal about.
I have been purposely vague in my review of The Meadowlands (yes, it is one of my worst), as I don’t find it to be an album that one could not accurately portray the greatness of through words. My purpose in writing this review, then, is not to paint you a clear picture of what the album is all about, but rather to pique your interest and encourage you to listen for yourself. Unlike many, perhaps all of the albums that we’ve chosen to feature in our Top 25 Alternative Rock Albums list, The Meadowlands has absolutely no sentimental value to me. I first heard this album in its entirety just over two years ago, and there are no personal anecdotes or memories that accompany each listen. It is just an incredibly solid album that will endure beyond the music of the artists that Wind-Up Records kicked The Wrens to the curb for, and beyond most everything else made in the last decade or so. That’s not too bad for a little band that no one believed in. And while the story of how The Meadowlands came to be may be a nice one to tell every now and then, it pales in comparison to the stories that the band tells through their music.
Key Tracks:
1. “She Sends Kisses”
2. “This Boy Exhausted”
3. “Thirteen Grand”
4. “Boys, You Won’t”
5. “13 Months, In 6 Minutes”
Audio Overflow 