Mower
Not For You
4
The best advice I can give you, the MR reader, is pay close attention to the title of Mower’s latest album. If their moniker and album title haven’t scared you off already, visit their official website and take a gander at their promo photo, and then tell me you think they still have something worthwhile to offer. If you can do that, then perhaps Not for You is actually for you.
Otherwise, certainly contrary to what I expected, Mower aren’t that easy to pin down as far as a particular style is concerned. Essentially, there’s not one band that Mower sound like, and comparing them to one and one only wouldn’t be doing them justice. And while the 15 tracks on NfY vary from one another in numerous ways, they’re all trashy, low-class, and bad. Opener “American Psycho,” with its “Cowboys from Hell” lead-in, could be mistaken for the Pantera tune for a few seconds until they break into a conglomeration of innocuous nu-industrial rock/metal. “Road Rage” reminds me of a heavier Saliva, which is never a good thing, and the subject matter should honestly be left where it originates – on the road. Thankfully though, they seldom waste time, as the majority of their compositions are less than three minutes, if not much shorter. The best of the lot is “10’ X 10’”, but the higher-pitched vocals that ultimately ruin tracks such as “Look Away,” “General Admission,” and “Undone” come dangerously close to soiling the entire song.
I don’t take joy in saying this, but not only does Not for You lack redeeming qualities, it’s simply painful to listen to. In their hometown of San Diego, California they may be local celebrities, but I’m just glad they’re located on the opposite side of the country from me because I don’t relish the thought of getting my ass kicked, even though I could use a good ass-kicking and have been in the market for one for several years. Let’s just keep the MySpace Special Forces out of this one, too, okay Mower? We must stop these senseless e-wars, which unfortunately lead to more e-deaths than I care to think about.
