Review: Mike & The Melvins’ Powerful Unearthed Record ‘Three Men and a Baby’
As the story goes, way back in 1999, Mike Kunka, vocalist/bassist with godheadSilo, found himself with some spare time on his hands due to the godheads opting to take a break. So he decided to team up with his friends the Melvins (the lineup then consisting of Buzz “King Buzzo” Osborne on vocals/guitar, Kevin Rutmanis on bass/vocals, and Dale Crover on drums/vocals), and record a bunch of tunes under the pithy name “Mike & The Melvins.”
Though Sub Pop expressed interest in the project, a full-length record titled Three Men and a Baby, it remained unreleased. Until, happily, all concerned finally decided it was way past time to wrap things up and the final touches to the recordings were made last year — a lucky decision that rescued the album from its long and winding tenure in purgatory.
The song titles alone (“Limited Teeth,” “Dead Canaries,” “Lifestyle Hammer”) give you a strong hint of the kind of pummeling you’re likely to receive at the musical hands of these fine gentlemen. The album gets off to a great start with “Chicken ‘n’ Dumb,” opening with heavy guitar riffing before the full band kicks in with a fury, and Kunka wailing away on top, sounding not unlike John Lydon.
In contrast to King Buzzo’s more gravelly vocals, Kunka’s higher-pitched voice adds a pleasing new flavor to the Melvins mix. Just check out the histrionic vocals on “Annalisa.” With a little tweaking, it could even have become a pop song, but that wouldn’t have been any fun. Instead, the band pounds away, delivering a propulsive, sweaty workout that’s thoroughly satisfying.
It’s not all loud, hard-hitting chaos, however. “Dead Canaries” turns down the volume, the vocals delivered in a sinister near-whisper, against a taut musical backing. But most of it packs a powerful punch, with the kind of musical attack that makes you sit up and take notice, the kind of music that shouts to the rafters: “We will not be ignored!”
(Three Men and a Baby is available for pre-order through Sub Pop’s website ahead of its release on April 1st. You can stream the track “Limited Teeth” below.)
