tuneage:

SPEAK - “Carrie (Mindfull)”

The first 17 seconds of this song are a Who’s Who of late 80’s FM pop/rock cliches: Handclaps? Check. Overdriven, yet streamlined guitar? Check. Electronic kick drum? Check. Echoed count in? REALLY? Check. On the count of “Whoo,” a synth/voice sound that seems to have been cribbed directly from the Doves’ “Snowden” hits you with the subtlety of Mike Tyson. Then, you double check the band name. Hmm. All caps. I think that’s been MFDOOM before, NOFX what I mean? And the song name. It’s the name of a girl! Where have I seen that before? Oh, that’s right: Everywhere.

These snarky, petty, metaphysical concerns are exactly what the members of SPEAK are asking you to put aside when you listen to their music. They want you to listen closely (hear those synth arps?), sure, but what they really want is for you to sing along. They want you to experiment with your recreational falsetto. They want you to shake your wild head of hair. And yes, they want you to clap your hands on the 3rd, 4th, and 7th 8th notes. In short, they want you to have fun. The indie rock world is often seen as a group of preening, pretentious, self-serious hipsters for whom malice and pointed critiques are the stock in trade. With “Carrie,” SPEAK makes a profound statement by not making a statement at all. Indie legend Stephen Malkmus once wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Fuck Art, Let’s Dance.” Now, almost 20 years later SPEAK is working hard to realize this dream.