Description

Music ruined Mike Krols life. And then saved it. In 2015, Mike Krol found himself in the midst of an existential crisis. Hed invested everything to create the rock-and-roll life hed always wanted, but he wasnt sure the life wanted him back. Power Chords, Krols new Merge release, picks up where Turkey left off. It traces Krols journey back to punk rock, harnessing both the guitar technique and the musical redemption referenced in its title. To rediscover the power in those chords, Krol recorded for two-plus years in three separate locations (Nashville, Los Angeles, and Krols native Wisconsin). The record opens in a howling maelstrom of feedback: welcome to Krols crucible. After a stage-setting spoken-word intro, we find ourselves back in familiar Krol territoryaggressive and assertive, scratchy and raw, catchy as hellbut something has changed. The sounds have a new densityand so do the stories. Krols lyrics have always walked a fine line between self-acceptance and selfdestruction, but throughout Power Chords, they reveal a new sense of self-awareness. Of course, none of this is to say that Krol has mellowed. You might find a mea culpa or two, but Mike Krol will never be chastened. If anything, hes out more for revenge than forgiveness, and if hes grown, its because hes grown bolder. Hes wielding the same influencesMisfits, The Strokes, early Weezer, Ramonesbut turning up the gravity and the gain. Indeed, Krol has gone somewhere new; yes, he bludgeoned himself with over-analysis and self-loathing, but along the way he stumbled upon a trove of intricate guitar lines and artfully mutating melodies. Its there in the chorus of Blue and Pink, the bridge in I Wonder, the entirety of the deliriously infectious first single, An Ambulance.

Clear Vinyl LP (MRG609LPC1) is for Indie stores only and ltd to 1000 worldwide.