Mexico 70's "Thirty Five Whirlpools Below Sound"

The evolution of music over the last decade has been quite remarkable. At this point in 1996, the grunge era was giving way to a counter-grunge rock scene that tried to be more sarcastic than caustic. Musicians like Everclear and Goo Goo Dolls began to emerge on the Top 40 radio scene with songs that told stories of heart ache and angst but in a way that made you forget about these problems. The popular music scene of the mid-1990s also featured a band named Mexico 70, featuring Mick Bund as the lead vocalist and song writer. The band's 1994 hit album, "The Dust Has Come to Stay" reflected this period in music well, with poppy rock music that gained popularity in England and the United States. Bund and band mates have come back with their Mexico 70 follow up, "Thirty Five Whirlpools Below Sound" and seemed to have evolved little from their efforts in their inaugural record. The same people who listened twelve years ago are now listening to more dynamic styles of music, including rap-rock, country-rock, and collaborations between artists like Jay-Z and Linkin Park. "Thirty Five Whirlpools" seems out of place, though not entirely without its own merits.

Mick Bund shows the potential that has kept him in the music business for two decades on several "Thirty Five Whirlpools" tracks. In "Mr. Magpie," Bund demonstrates a certain Elvis Costello-like quality in his snarky lyrics about staying positive in the face of a negative person. The album's best track is "Bomb Poem," which shows Bund's ability to use his music in order to make the topic of war more comfortable to talk about. The song represents war from the bomb's point of view, demonstrating Bund's lyrical talents and his eye for social commentary. In "Never Meant to Be," Mexico 70 is reminiscent of Badly Drawn Boy's efforts on the "About a Boy" soundtrack. "Never Meant to Be" is effortless in its approach but draws the listener in and doesn't let go until the next track.

Sadly, Mexico 70 can't repeat the strength of these three songs. Mick Bund aims too much toward the pop market and radio plays with songs like "Hello Hello," "Indian Ink," and "Moving On." On "Hello Hello," Bund seems to be channeling the Goo Goo Dolls by making a shallow pop song that sounds like its saying a lot but leaves the listener feeling dissatisfied. "Indian Ink" suffers a similar fate, coming out too poppy and without a lot of the substance of the album's better songs. Unfortunately, these two songs open the record and set the table for a disappointing music experience. One of the final songs on "Thirty Five Whirlpools" is "Never Meant to Be," which sounds like a song one would hear at a prom or a wedding.

While Mexico 70 has been a mainstay of the indie scene for a decade, it seems to be stuck in time. If this record came out even five years ago, it may have stood a chance. However, the growth in access to music of all kinds and the increase in inter-genre collaborations means that Mexico 70 and "Thirty Five Whirlpools Below Sound" are in the same category as VHS players and 8 tracks. Many artists come out of the indie scene with a more refined sense for music because of the hard work they put into producing and promoting their own music. However, it seems that Bund has sacrificed those lessons a bit for popular appeal. If he stuck to his indie rock guns throughout this record, it would be an unmitigated success. Unfortunately, Mexico 70's sophomore record leaves this reviewer expecting more the next time around.