| Elementary School Talent Show | 2002 |
| Plastic Dreams | 2003 |
Despite the fact that my head associates their band name with trippy experimental music, Soundtrack Mind are actually a down-to-earth sounding roots rock/pop trio that has attained quite an underground following in the Southeast, where they've been hailed as 'Athens' best pop band'. They're also talented melody writers as well, if Plastic Dreams (reviewed below) is any indication. Since the review below pretty much describes my thoughts on the band in general, here's the lineup: Rusty Bridgers (guitars, vocals), Jonathan Potter (vocals - I'm guessing lead, bass, keyboards), Bryan Mullis (drums, vocals). Visit their website soundtrackmind.com or shuteyerecords.com for more info.
--Nick Karn
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
I found a quote from drummer Bryan Mullis on the origins of the Soundtrack Mind band name to be a very spot-on perspective about how songs are able to take you back to a certain time and provide a soundtrack to your life, and that laid-back feeling is exactly what I get from this album as a whole. It's a thoroughly pleasant sound they have going here, with pleasantly catchy melodies, an inventive layering of acoustic and electric roots rock-style guitars, subtle but effective rhythm work, lyrics that can easily relate to many people's own personal experiences, friendly often harmonized choruses that almost seem to be inviting you to sing along, and a very 'Southern' sort of vocal style just about perfectly suited for this type of thing. Personally, for me the album has a very 'autumn' tone to it (no doubt helped by references to the 'autumn winds' in the opening track) that keeps you relaxed throughout the 37 minute running time here.
The song quality does a good enough job of living up to the style as well, as it's very consistent throughout - I don't think much of it really rises to great heights, but nothing here approaches weak or bland, either, as the quality of the melodies ensure that. But there are a few songs that seem to be a little above the rest - the opener "It's Just Right" is a fun singalong tune, with a memorable slide riff and a bridge that somehow hits upon a really neat majestic atmosphere not unlike something you would find on an R.E.M. album, while my favorite is probably "Can't Buy", a slow, gripping ballad with haunting guitar noises and a desparate-sounding chorus. The nostalgic "Town" comes close to those in quality, as here they hit upon a snappy, playful groove that only makes the vocal melody around it stronger (it particularly works well over the line 'Tommy left for Piedmont, walkin' down the tracks', for whatever reason).
There's other notable stuff around, too, like the fast rockers in "Really Want" (fine percussion work!) and "If The World Falls" (some of the stronger, more inspirational, lyrics on here, and nice harmonies in the middle). Also successful are when they add embellishments to their signature sound - the violin solos in the side closing ballad "Goodbye" (a cool, if simplistic, stop-start three note guitar line and one of those quintessential 'friendly' refrains here), the keyboard pattern in "Clear My Name" that becomes more noticeable as the song goes on (it's also one of the most rootsy and entertaining songs on here), and especially the banjo in the closing track "Lonely Tonight", which I can easily picture the band playing and singing over a campfire when hearing it, so in that case, the 'Soundtrack Mind' tag really works.
The only two songs here that I would say are very slightly less recommended than the rest are "Would You Believe" (which has a similar feel to "Town" in the music, though not as addicting) and the more upbeat "Hold Me", whose potential is somewhat better realized in "Lonely Tonight", though that Beatles-esque piano break in the middle is a fun addition. All in all, though, this is just a pleasantly enjoyable album from a band that sounds as if they have even more songwriting and arranging potential ahead of them. They're tight in terms of playing, accomplished in crafting melodies... not bad for an outfit who originally started out as a side project, are they?
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