JARRED UP

Besides their albums, Mecca Normal released a variety of singles in its first few years, not to mention contributing to a wide variety of compilations. Jarred Up brings together twenty-two otherwise unavailable songs recorded between 1987 and 1993, making for a great collection and a handy starting point for any newcomer to the band. Many of Mecca Normals highlights didnt appear on the album, so in lieu of a ‘greatest hits compilation, this readily does the business. Whats especially neat is hearing the occasional experiments and different approaches that also crop up. One of the first songs is "Man Thinks Woman," which besides being one of Smiths sharper analyses regarding gender relations and roles (the midsong spoken word break is both funny and pointed) is notable for featuring Lester on acoustic guitars rather than his standard electric. After that initial surprise, further examples appear: the folk/country hybrid "He Didnt Say" (with Smith on slightly ghostly, reverb-heavy vocals), backwards cymbals and other quasi-psychedelic turns at various points. Plenty of other individual instances of Mecca Normals brilliance occur in more familiar guises – "How Many Now?," with Lesters circular notes providing a gentle bed for one of Smiths most heartfelt performances; the wonderful, quick charge of "You Heard It All," which slows down just enough to pump up the drama; the soft skip and good feeling of "Upside Down Flames." If theres a slight downside to the album, its only in the packaging – a listing of where all the tracks came from, along with a reproduction of Smiths often fascinating lyrics, would have been nice. Otherwise, any self-respecting fan of the band needs this without question, while others could do worse to have this be the introduction to the duos entrancing, involving style. ~ Ned Raggett