Scruffy, queer-friendly hard rock trio Meat Wave have shaped up to be 2015's most deceptive breakout band.
Studious, apple-cheeked front man Chris Sutter looks like such a sweet, polite young man ( think of Opie by way of Pilsen ) that it comes as a shock to find his charming mouth houses a voice that can peel the skin off of a shark. If he does not sing like he looks, the same can be said for bandmates Ryan Wizniak and Joe Gac ( also polite, sweet etc. ); together, they make music that can best be described as fetching Mack Truck opera.
What is distinctive about Meat Wave is what sounds like a lack of musical cohesion with an overpowering hard rock urgency in its place. The new Delusion Moon comes rolling out like one huge flaming wall of lava, but for all the power on the grooves and punch in the delivery, it is really engaging, sloppy and catchy as all get out. Sutter is clearly in touch with his inner T-Rex and his yowl is not only unique ( the only voice that comes close is Joey Eichler of Soddy Daisy ) but unintelligible; it and everything on the CD appear to have been mixed down into one big steaming pool of flowing goo.
That is fine by me, actually ( and evidently a whole lot of other people since Meat Wave has found themselves on the cover of RedEye and is just coming off of a mini-European tour ) and makes the new recording one of the best of the year.
"Delusion Moon," the opening track, is a numbing addictive splatter of catchy hard rock and stays lodged between the ears after the first listen. "Sham King" takes the murkiness to a new level, but the kicker here is "The Gay Contempt," with its rockabilly riffing and propulsive thunder. The really funny thing about Delusion Moon is that with all that angst, Sutter's yelping and the brick thick mix, the CD is an awful lot of fun to dance and sing to.
Equally fun to dance to, though for different reasons, is the new single "Boys Like You," from the oddly named Who Is Fancy? Popping up in an animated video on YouTube and the Thanksgiving week episode of Dancing with the Stars, Fancy and his song are not noteworthy because of the participation of Ariana Grande or Meghan Trainor. Nor is it for the song's upfront gay-crush story arc or the fact that it is sinfully addictive. "Boys Like You" sticks out because it is the first high-profile queer pop confection in a long while that does not come weighted down with issues.
Yes, Steve Grand's "All American Boy" and Macklemore and Lewis' "Same Love" opened doors in closed conservative minds and the viral sensation that surrounded Betty Who's "Somebody Loves You" paved new territory, but "Boys Like You" is of a different flavor.
With a voice and appearance lodged between George O'Dowd ( aka Boy George ) and Sam Smith, Fancy just happens to have a certain thing for a certain dude, much like Annette Funicello did on "Tall Paul" or Aretha Franklin on "Daydreaming." "Boys Like You" is pure unadulterated ear candy—buffed, polished, and sung with a shimmering finesse that makes it a tasty pop-soul jam. What really makes the song pop is that Fancy, Grande and Trainor approach it with a humor that puts the "gay" right back into queer music.
With so much that has been won for LGBTQ civil rights in these last three years, the timing couldn't be better for a slice of jolly same-sex loving cheer.
Heads up: If you want to experience Meat Wave in person, the band will be hitting The Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., on Saturday, Dec. 12, with art-noise rockers Melk Belly. The final edition of Donnie Moore's queer centric Glitter Creeps at the same venue is Wed., Dec. 16, with Bad Bad Meow, Sheep Numbers and Donkey Hotel on the bill.
Out guitarist Kaki King hits City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St., for a second helping of her The Neck is a Bridge to the Body tour on Jan. 19. And if you crave a Latin flavor for the holidays, Samba Bamba presents its Christmas spectacular at Martyrs, 3855 N. Lincoln Ave., on Tuesday, Dec. 15.
