the meantime - The Meantime

The Meantime

The Meantime
self-released; 2015

3.2 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

The Meantime is a band from Australia composed of Daniel Bailey (guitar/vocals), Kurt Burns (drums) and Zack Edwards (bass). Their recent self-titled EP The Meantime should sound familiar to anyone who has had even the most limited exposure to rock music in the last twenty years.

The songs revolve around power chords, a pounding rhythm section and vocal melodies. Bands like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Local H and Stone Temple Pilots come to mind. Most of the songs are anchored in ‘90s alternative rock but a number of tracks stem from hard rock as well. Strip away the distortion and you are left with well-written if predictable pop. The songs are catchy enough and got more enjoyable after a couple of plays.

They kick things off with the hardest, fuel driven song on the EP entitled “Feel The Same.” It’s the guitars that provide the extra octane that make the song on the verge of metal. The song doesn’t stray from what you would expect. You get some lead guitar and catchy hooks. Overall, a pretty good song but I think it will have a hard time sticking out amongst the crowd.

“On My Mind” is straight from the ‘90s. In particular that chorus had me thinking of Foo Fighters. I thought the production could have been better on this track. The clean guitar is vacant of energy and I thought the vocals could have been treated better at times. Speaking of his vocals Bailey tests the limits of his abilities on the chorus where he has a difficult time pulling off the angry, visceral purge he was trying to capture.

As the album progresses the songs stick to the same palette of sounds. There are some highpoints like the Smashing Pumpkins-esque style guitar parts on “Have It All” but in all honesty the song don’t require much explanation.

The Meantime deliver a no-frills rock EP that feels content paying tribute to ‘90s alternative music rather than pushing the boundaries. There is nothing wrong with that but don’t expect to hear many things here that give the band much of a signature sound. 

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