The Weather Underground:First Three EPs

By: Dennis Cook

Grandeur ain’t easy to conjure for large ensembles but when a simple quartet manages such sorcery, well, you better take notice. The Weather Underground repeatedly taps into majestic territory on their initial trio of EP releases – Psalms & Shanties, When I Was A Soldier and Bird In Hand. While still obviously rock ‘n’ roll – what else can stir heart AND loins the way this stuff does? – the kind this young Los Angeles band creates is hugely reminiscent of the blue sky busting of The Unforgettable Fire-era U2 or the enveloping bloom of mid-period Police. In no way does it seem like The Weather Underground is trying to copy these giants but in their own emotively fractured, naturally dexterous way they’ve stumbled into BIG ROCK territory.

Case in point, “Neal Cassady,” which starts Psalms, begins unassumingly and then 30 seconds in howls like a demon wind while a “Not Fade Away” type energy unfurls and singer-guitarist Harley Prechtel-Cortez pecks at kernels left along open roads, the band twisting and winding with blue crossroad wildness, and then abruptly, but perfectly, coming to a halt three minutes later. One of the huge differences between TWU and others who go big is these guys don’t overstay their welcome. They get the job done in a concise manner – storm heaven, sip some whiskey and then off to scale the next Olympus. Their refusal to embrace contemporary rock’s diary-esque self-absorption combined with a knack for brevity makes for a very winning combo. They’re content to soar high but never seem to need overt recognition for their striving and climb. Get it or don’t, they’re on their own trip and don’t need to strike a Jesus Christ pose to make their points.

Even within each tune one has a hard time pinning down their exact influences. Larry Mullen’s drumming seems a real touchstone but things morph so rapidly in TWU that I wouldn’t even put money on that observation. Take “Old Man Jude,” also from Psalms, which starts like early Dylan but quickly explodes into a J. Geils Band style rave-up full of slashing guitars and boisterous energy. This kind of “what the hell are they up to” feel pervades all three EPs. It can leave you a bit off-kilter but in the charming way a terrific first kiss leaves your skin flushed and your legs wobbly.

There’s treats on each EP, and standouts include the Bill Haley meets The Buzzcocks blastoff of “HMO,” the positively enchanting swoon of “Nickel & Dime” and the oddly sprightly, roots reggae inflected title cut from When I Was A Soldier; the tweaked East L.A. roots rock flavor of “Fight Song (for the Desalojos),” the aching, bittersweet rise of “All Ye People,” the “Palisades Park” by way of Echo & The Bunnymen charge of “Trainwreck” and the title track from Bird In The Hand, which has the mood and power of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” with an earthier undertow; and from Psalms & Shanties, the aforementioned “Neal Cassady” and the pulsing, supercharged shoegazer vortex of “Something’s Gotta Give.” If you’re only gonna snag one, go for Bird In The Hand but you’ll kick yourself later when you’re left jonesing for more.

In their quest for release, knowledge or whatever it is The Weather Underground is on the road to find out, they generate a potent, nigh irresistible wake, the great tail tug of a boat headed into deep waters. It’s not as if the listener needs to try to be part of it; the current will pull you forward if you only let it. Their passion, fierce dynamics, obvious musical skill and unabashedly intense lyrical thrust are the sort that helps define generations. While that’s a bit much to toss on their young shoulders, it hardly seems a weight they aren’t fully capable of carrying up the mountain.

Here’s a nifty video for “H.M.O.” to whet your appetite.

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