takes the wheel
by David Maeda
The local band (named for an exclamation used in Mystery Science Theater 3000) has just released its first full-length CD, Redline, which is a solid effort that showcases the group�s versatility. Sam Scratch�s sound is difficult to label � a blend of alterna-pop with a little metal and classical guitar thrown into the mixture.
�We�ve been told we sound like a lot of other bands and at the same time people say they haven�t heard anything exactly like us either,� bass player Henry Breimhurst says. Guitarist Mike Walsh says the band�s fans have compared the group�s sound to everything from R.E.M. to H�sker Du to Soul Asylum.
Matthew Anderson (vocals and guitar), Patrick Kerr (drums and vocals), and Breimhurst all grew up in St. Paul and have played together in various bands since 1991. Walsh (who the other three members affectionately, but somewhat sarcastically, refer to as the group�s �messiah�) grew up in Roseville and joined the band in 1997 � the official beginning of Sam Scratch.
Part of what makes Sam Scratch�s sound unique is its skillful vocal harmonies. Redline opens with �Stand to Lose� (a song that is thankfully getting some local radio play) which contains some gorgeous three-part harmonies. Another highlight of the album is the wistful and blissful �Don�t Wake Me� with its melodic refrain and its equally wonderful vocalizations. The band credits Kerr for working hard with the group�s harmonies, combining his voice along with Anderson and Walsh to give the band its unique vocal blend.
Another of the group�s charms is the biting sarcasm that can be found in songs like �Paris� (�I want all the rhyme, you can keep the reason. I want Paris, without the Parisians�) as well as on their clever website (www.samscratch.com).
Sarcasm aside, the songs on Redline are all somewhat thematically linked, with a wandering restlessness weaving its way through many of the 12 tracks. One of the CD�s best songs, �Minnesota 3,� perfectly captures the feeling of traveling through this vast state with the mixed emotions that come from familiarity and the desire to be just about anywhere else. The many references to traveling � �Destiny whispers takes the wheel.� �The road is littered with bright orange pylons.� �Rainy morning on a bus, I can�t quite fall asleep.� � are interspersed throughout the CD, adding to the overall picture of a resigned wanderlust. Breimhurst says that all these references to travel lent themselves to naming the record �Redline.�
In addition to playing regular local shows, Sam Scratch has toured Wisconsin, as well as both of the Dakotas. Walsh says the band is currently playing around three shows a month. Anderson says the band remains creatively challenged by its constant struggle to be one of the 400 local bands trying to get booked in the eight best bars.
When asked where he hopes the band will be in 10 years, Kerr says (in typical Sam Scratch manner), �Playing Budokan,� as he breaks into an impromptu, a cappella version of Cheap Trick�s �Surrender.�