Chevelle: Point #1

I don't listen to a whole lot of mainstream-alternative-rock radio these days, mainly because my music tastes have shifted (or perhaps, rather, have been left behind in the decades preceding my birth). Nevertheless, I will turn it on every now and then, which has left me increasingly closer to a startling, unfortunate conclusion. Despite the undercurrent of new, diverse influences in radio rock (electro and indie stuff...Foster the People and the like), a big percentage of the bands are all playing the same post-grunge/hard rock music, just under different names. Moreover, it's totally indistinguishable from the same post-grunge/hard rock that bands were playing 10 or 15 years ago. When I hear a song I haven't heard before, I seriously cannot pin down the date, even within 5 or 10 years, because that strain of music hasn't really gone anywhere.

Mini-rant over. Despite all of this, there is one hard-rock/alternative metal band that's managed to stay at least marginally different (and consistently good) from most of the other hard-rock/alternative metal bands, and that's Chevelle. Sure, frontman Pete Loeffler sounds just like Maynard James Keenan, but according to their site, they've put out five studio albums in which they've managed to hammer out a pretty good, thumping, fairly unique (or at least very recognizable) sound.

Wait, just five albums? Nope. Here's where the subject of this post comes in, Chevelle's Point #1. This, the album conspicuously missing from their site's discography (the result of a legal struggle that nearly derailed their budding career), is the album that started it all. Despite two decently-performing radio singles (the title track and "Mia") and a long string of successes since, this album has been all-but-forgotten by most; however, after hit album after hit album, Point #1 remains my absolute FAVORITE Chevelle album. I think it definitely deserves a closer look, which I'll try to do here.

Anyone who's pretty familiar with Steve Albini's extensive production (or sound engineering) career, should be able to recognize his touch on the album pretty quickly. Reportedly, the band was dissatisfied with his work, a marked step away from the polished, layered crunch of their subsequent albums. Often derided for being a more simplistic Tool imitation, Chevelle is perhaps at their Tooliest here, as their more raw, stripped-down sound brings to mind early Tool albums. Indeed, anyone who's heard Tool's "Sober" will instantly recognize the similarities between that song and Chevelle's "Skeptic."

Apart from the sonic differences, the songwriting is noticeably different from their later releases. Though the notoriously cryptic lyrics are almost wholly intact, the song structures ultimately lack the tightness and catchiness that have contributed to their success. Many of the songs are plagued by unnecessary repetitiveness (their one-chord instrumental opening track almost seems to foreshadow this). There are a lot of great musical moments on this album that are dragged down by length or by weaker parts of the songs. This can probably be attributed to the fact that many of these songs go beyond simple verse-chorus-verse structures ("Dos," "Peer," "SMA"), though this approach is somewhat hit-and-miss.

And yet, despite all of its flaws, it's still my favorite Chevelle album. Why? Maybe it's that I'm totally a fan of that dry, sparse In Utero sound. Or maybe, in eschewing radio-ready hooks in favor of more ambitious (though unpolished) song structures, they appeal more to my weirder musical tastes. I don't know; for all of the familiar Chevelle traits that have already established themselves on this early album, there's something about it that sounds different. Almost exciting, at times.

Title track "Point #1" alternates between two simple two-chord patterns for four minutes, and yet its simplicity lends it a driving, hypnotic feeling for which Loeffler's soaring vocals are only the icing on the cake. There's more of a Pixies clean-and-soft/dirty-and-loud dynamic going on throughout this album, used to good effect in this track, as well as "Blank Earth," among others.

My favorite song on the album is definitely "Anticipation," a quick, drum-centric song that sounds unlike any other song Chevelle's ever done. Speaking of drums, drummer Sam Loeffler turns in a characteristically solid performance. Though much of his work seems to focus on serving the song, there are songs like "Anticipation," as well as "Peer" (another one of my favorites) where his drumming moves the song along.

This album, while it may stand out when placed alongside their subsequent albums, is undeniably Chevelle. Chevelle in an early, unrefined state, taking their first steps into the world of hard rock album-ating. Overall, Point #1 is a raw album, but I can't help but totally love it. Maybe it's just a matter of personal taste; maybe you'll love it too.

Tracks:

1. Open
2. Point #1
3. Prove to You
4. Mia
5. Skeptic
6. Anticipation
7. Dos
8. Long
9. Blank Earth
10. SMA
11. Peer