Many of the cuts on
Meander are copyrighted in the mid-'90s, and as a band,
Carbon Leaf has matured since then. There's a tendency for groups to experiment before settling into their own characteristic sound, and
Meander is the product of
Carbon Leaf's experimental stage. They try their hand at some generic-sounding rock, as on "Live Like You," which, fortunately, they grew away from later. On "Shellfish," there are indications of what subsequently would become their trademark tendency toward surreal lyrics, as explored more fully on
Ether-Electrified Porch Music, but this collection is unfortunately marked by some technical flaws. "Skeleton Man Dance" needs to be remixed, as the instruments overpower the lyrics -- it's difficult to hear what they're saying.
Carbon Leaf is known for loud performances, and the instrumentation on this cut upholds that reputation, but the vocalist needs to pump up the volume to match because, as is, his buddies are drowning him out. There are similar problems on "Strain." On the upside, "Mary Mac" is a vocal runaway train -- just how fast can these guys sing this tongue twister? A fun bit of traditional Celtic humor, maniacally performed, with tin whistle on the instrumental breaks. "Country Monkee," an alternative country tune, is one of the more successful cuts on this CD -- a better balance between lyrics and instrumentals, and the driving guitar doesn't overwhelm the vocals this time. As it turns out,
Carbon Leaf goes on to explore this folk-rooted aspect of themselves further on in
Ether-Electrified Porch Music, and to better effect. So while it does mark
Carbon Leaf's beginnings, listeners may prefer to invest in one of their later albums rather than
Meander. ~ Murrday Fisher