Review
The MES
Evil Echo and Deaf Mind-

Independent (2024) Christopher D

The MES – Evil Echo and Deaf Mind- cover artwork
The MES – Evil Echo and Deaf Mind- — Independent, 2024

Divine intervention from Finland weaving this ripsnorter straight up the nasal cavity producing flashing lights and heightened endorphin production ……. oh, the downside -repetition is essential for pure unadulterated drops of artificial sweetener-sucralose to take full effect (sure beats saccharin).
So, some old geezer like myself is under no illusion that he knows all about music but this ain't my first rodeo-yee haw.

Finnish Rautalanka had never crossed my ever-failing sensors and I can thank The Mes for the introduction to which they attribute the term- New Wave of Finnish Rautalanka (think The Shadows-who played Finland several times and The Ventures who were also well-loved by The Finnish! however, these two bands alone spawned many bands in Finland such as The Sounds(not the Adrian Borland band with the same name)

The Mes can navigate the stormy waters of the current climate of a world of a trillion bands and lean on the past all the while producing output that sounds fresh and vintage within the same hand-rolled joint. Take a puff.

At times they have a garage element not unlike early Hives, blended with one of my favourites and not often spoken about enough Dan Sartain. All the while giving us the chance to ride the crest down the aquatic skating rink, through the Banzai Pipe. The hip "Hypno Preacher" is amongst us, living, breathing, beckoning with his outstretched bony-clicking fingers for you to join him on the world's deadliest crest.
Finland has 60 rideable surfing days a year for all those in doubt- so get those boards waxed up. Vahaa laudallasi ja aja kuolemaan!
Hoping The Mes can surf their way into your blackened heart ( no they will not eat your pets) and land on North American soil and over the physical and perceived walls.

I goad you to stop spending money on retirement, nostalgia pantomime acts of fisticuffed elders and throw some crisp banknotes to new bands producing exciting helter-skelter.
Fresh Sauna music for those who don’t want to relax -jump into the cold pool and explore. Your 60's Stranglers-filled sensibilities and frozen gonads will thank you profusely.

The MES – Evil Echo and Deaf Mind- cover artwork
The MES – Evil Echo and Deaf Mind- — Independent, 2024

Related news

Joe Strummer's & The Mescaleros box set

Posted in Records on July 31, 2022

Recently-posted album reviews

1186

Histeria
Drunken Sailor (2025)

If you read enough press releases, you start questioning if you even know what genre names mean. Post-punk has been one of the most abused terms of the past 2-3 years and it seems to mean wildly different things to different people. To me, it’s always meant an ear for angular guitars and noise atop more traditional song concepts. 1186 … Read more

Li Jianhong

Shuttle Raven of the Dream
Utech (2025)

Li Jianhong's philosophy surpasses the direct relationship of a musician with their instrument of choice. Instead, Li has advocated for Environment Improvisation, where the urge to create and improvise is established by the artist's surroundings. Looking at Li's website you can find numerous instances that inspired him to settle down and start improvising, drawing energy from the surroundings. The music … Read more

Deseos Primitivos

Lineas de Muerte
Shadowplay Records (2025)

Some reviews are written after years of listening to a band and knowing nearly everything about them. Sometimes I listen to a record on repeat for weeks before I even look up the correct song titles – Deseos Primitivos (Primitive Desires) is the latter. This promo came to SPB as literally a one sentence quote about the band and its … Read more