Album Review: Mudhoney – Vanishing Point
- Written by Charlotte Stones
Twenty-five years since Mudhoney’s emergence onto the 1980s Seattle punk scene and not much has changed with their ninth studio album Vanishing Point. Did we really expect it to?
It's been a long time since Mark Arm and Steve Turner joined forces to form their original band Green River. So long in fact that even Turner’s beard has changed style many times. But the real mark of Mudhoney’s road to success was their signing to Seattle’s finest label Sub Pop; also home at the time to the likes of Nirvana and Soundgarden. After such a long time as a band, Mudhoney have become one of grunge rock’s true survivors, carrying on the traditions and talents of the infamous Seattle scene. Yet with that lenght of experince we want more from Vanishing Point. They have the scope and musical fanbase to dare to explore, yet Vanishing Point ultimately lacks the new-release excitement that ‘legendary’ bands tend to generate.
‘Slipping Away’ provides an unsurprisingly heavy start to the album and doesn’t hold back in its attempt to prove that age doesn’t matter when it comes to rock, as heavy drums and guitars provide an apt introduction. However, with around two minutes of unnecessary over-indulgence, we begin to question whether Mudhoney have (dare I say it) had their day. There’s no question surrounding their legendary status as a band, the issue is what they do with this. Three decades worth of fans should perhaps mean a new direction would appeal to at least someone. Instead Vanishing Point blandly offers little more than nostalgia; which, given the time they've served at the coalface is not the most pleasing, despite heroic memories of the grunge glory days.
Grunge appears cursed with age. The once raw production style that characterised Sub Pop's acts now feels thin, with Arm’s withered vocals coming to the forefront in Vanishing Point. This is not a bad album; it's okay. Perfectly listenable, even. With musical highlights in the form of ‘Chardonnay’, a dose of driven punk that provides the only hint that Mudhoney still have it. But the laughable title of ‘Douchebags On Parade’ embarrasses as the past days of anti-establishment punk ethos glumly express hate in a far from creative way.
Take away all rock reputation and this is just another album. One which could sadly fall by the wayside. Though grunge trends come and go as teenagers don band shirts older than the twinkle in their parents' eye, Vanishing Point ultimately rests on the band's reputation rather than enhancing it. Mudhoney are past their careless, young experimental best, they’ve grown up, just as their fans forgot the days of ripped clothing and rugged hair. For Mudhoney die-hards this might just be what you’ve waited for since 2008’s The Lucky Ones, but for most of us, Vanishing Point will be just another album.
Vanishing Point is out now and available from amazon and iTunes.