Many rock songs cover familiar territory: the angst of growing up, the ups and downs of personal relationships, the fear of death — the painful or blissful human experiences.
Yet, rarely are those art-imitating-life works framed in the original manner that Southern Problems has done with their debut album.
Bassist Andy Bowen had written a short story about Newt Gingrich going to space and settling on the moon and the songs on Space is singer/guitarist Dan Schwartz’s interpretation of this story.
The hopelessness and loneliness is all there with lines like “It’s never going to get brighter” from opener “Liftoff” and “In my mind, I am running far away” on “Running Away. Yet, this despair is occurring in the rocket. The imagery of running impossibly far away from one’s problems only to encounter confinement, loneliness and anger rather than freedom is literature beyond the usual expectations of garage band songwriting. For this, Southern Problems should be commended.
While the storytelling is original, the music itself is clearly culled from years of listening to jangly post-punk. At any given time, Schwartz’s songs recall the melodies of Superchunk, the heaviness of Jawbox or the off-kilter ring of the Clean. Of course, Schwartz’s ax-wielding proficiency is not at the level of a J. Robbins or a Mac MacCaughan but the songs pulse with an urgency, in no small part due to Andrew Graber’s drumming, that propels the tracks. Sometimes, the endless power chords get a little repetitive, but the staccato “Heartsfield” sounds like an homage to the tonality of Medications and the atonal stomp of “Moon People” turns into one of the album’s great highlights.
The intra-band chemistry shines with songs like “Intergalactic Culture War,” which comes off as an epic crunchy jam, with Bowen’s bass featured prominently for maximum fist pumping alongside. However, their repeated attempts to isolate one instrument, before coming back together for a triumphant climax does not create the desired effect. It actually shows that all three musicians sound better together.
Southern Problems plays their record release show tonight at the Dunes, 1402 Meridian Place NW, with Art Sorority For Girls. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Cost: $5, $8 for the album with admission.
