Mink - Mink Review
Posted by Mitch Michaels on 09.06.2007
“Rock Star: INXS” contestant returns with a good band and a bad attitude…
My Story
Many music fans criticize shows like “American Idol” and “Rock Star” due to their corporate-controlled nature and need to appeal to the masses, but you can’t deny their star-making ability. The worst problem is the mentality injected into the contestants, meaning their eventual albums and fifteen minutes can be just as soulless as the music that they often mimic on the shows. Neal Carlson, an early contestant on “Rock Star: INXS” is taking his turn in extending his time in the spotlight with his band Mink. How will he fare with the rock buying public?
Their Story
In 2005, a reality show called “Rock Star” began its first season as a search for a new lead singer for the Australian rock band INXS, who hadn’t recorded an album since former frontman Michael Hutchence committed suicide in 1997. Among the contestants was Neal Carlson, a Queens, New York native who was eliminated in the third episode of the show.
Following his brief stint as a TV star, Carlson continued his musical career with his manager, who auditioned several of his Australian friends until just the right band was assembled in the spring of 2006. That band was Mink. Once created, Mink got to writing songs. Several songs, in fact, as their catalog of material is rumored to be in the 60s, impressive for a band with only one album under their belt.
Mink spent some time playing together before stepping into the studio with producer Sylvia Massey, who worked on Tool’s debut album Undertow, among others. Of the songs recorded for that album, “Talk To Me” was released as the band’s first single and “Pressure Pressure” gained notability when ESPN used it during the 2006 MLB playoffs.
Tours with bands like Angels & Airwaves followed. The band currently has headlining dates scheduled through mid-October. For details, check out their official website.
The Album
On August 28, 2007, Spitfire Music released Mink, the debut album by Mink. The CD contains a hidden track called "What Do You See".
The Band: 7.0
Neal Carlson: vocals
Stella Mozgawa: drums
David Lowy: rhythm guitar
Nick Maybury: lead guitar
Grant Fitzpatrick: bass
If you like snotty, balls-out rock, Mink is your band. A throwback to punk in its attitude and an homage to groovy garage rockers like The Strokes in its delivery, Mink is your prototypical tight-pantsed cock rock outfit, with a penchant for sarcastic new wave, sex and alcohol-fueled lyrics and a “we don’t give a fuck” attitude. Neal Carlson has studied under the best, and does a believable impression of a post-punker (he’s from New York, afterall), but experimental tracks like “Will Not Let You Down” and “Crazy World” hint at something more, a tender passion that hides behind the exterior, bolstered and nurtured by a band of great harmony singers and equally intuitive players.
Much is made of Stella Mozgawa’s drumming in Mink’s press, and with good reason. As odd as it is to have a drummer as the foremost sideman in a band, Mozgawa does more than keep a beat here, as her fills can bring on heart attacks and passionate lovemaking at the same time. The guitars of Nick Maybury and David Lowy are just as integral, pumping out raw hooks like they’re going out of style. And bassist Grant Fitzpatrick grooves behind it all, the utility man that you can’t live without.
Mink’s debut album is nothing revolutionary, but that’s what’s so revolutionary about it, really. It isn’t afraid to just rock for the sake of rocking. And that’s very endearing.
The Songs: 6.5
1. Get It Right
2. Madame Chung
3. Talk To Me
4. Dematerialize
5. Pressure Pressure
6. Jodi
7. Crazy World
8. Untouchable
9. Sweeter
10. New York Summer
11. Pills
12. Will Not Let You Down
Most of Mink is filled with simple but undeniable rock. This can get a bit monotonous, as Neal Carlson hasn’t quite gotten there when it comes to lyrical skills. But when it hits, it really hits. Cuts like “Untouchable” and “Talk To Me” are great young band moments. “Sweeter”, on the other hand, is a sweet soulful cut, sounding for all the world like a neglected 45 found behind a jukebox at CBGBs after 30 years of being lost (just before they tore it down of course).
The slower cuts are the best here, in my opinion. “Will Not Let You Down” is just plain soaring and “Crazy World” intricate and sweet, a glimpse of good things to come from Carlson and the band. Sure, there’s filler here. “Pills” is a little absurd, given Mink’s press of Carlson living the “healthy lifestyle”, and tracks like “Madame Chung” and “Jodi” are more than forgettable.
Still, as a complete package, Mink has more than its share of moments. If they can gain a considerable radio hit, Mink could live up to their aspirations of “big rock band” in the next few years.
The 411: Mink is a youthful throwback to the garage revival and the attitude of 70’s punk, but it is so obviously from the mind of a 2007 young band that it’s intriguing. Neal Carlson makes for a lively frontman and his band is as urgent and skillful as he is. There are some major keepers here, like “New York Summer”, “Sweeter” and “Talk To Me”, and when the band slows down (“Crazy World”), you find an attention to detail you may not expect. If you like raw club rock ‘n’ roll, give Mink a try.
