Description
Much like a teacher, Meryl Streek imparts his knowledge and lived experiences to all who are willing to listen. His third album, Stories They Dont Teach You At School, serves as an alternative form of education, delivered through a visceral blend of factual soundbites and raw emotion, loops and samples, guitars and bass. The lyrics resonate with core values of compassion, resilience, and communitythemes rarely explored within a classroom setting or seen in todays fragmented society. By prioritising conviction over commercial success, the Dublin artists outspokenness may invite controversy. Yet beneath the fervor lies a profound desire for positive social change at home in Ireland, and beyond.
Meryl Streek returned to Darkland Studios in Dublin to fine-tune the recordings previously made in a shed at the back of his mas garden. Here he continued the genre-blurring nature of his earlier work, enticing listeners toward dissonant landscapes and hypnotic rhythms. Gentle piano tones collide with abrasive synths, creating a striking tension between beauty and noise. Streek tempers his rage when appropriate, integrating atmospheric textures and pop sensibilities into his ever-expanding sonic collage.
As is tradition with any Meryl Streek record, Stories They Dont Teach You At School unearths many uncomfortable truths. Rotten Fruit examines media manipulation and the numbing proliferation of misinformation, all soundtracked by synth-punk. With gliding keys and a crunchy bassline, Council Estates critiques systemic government failures affecting the working class. Kelly is a slice of electronica that details an ongoing criminal investigation, currently classified as a Contested Cause of Death. The indie pop of The Chancer brings much-needed attention to landlord politicians. As the album progresses, the mission remains absolute: to provide a voice for the voiceless.
To amplify these narratives, Meryl Streek handpicked a diverse group of collaborators for the project. Rotten Fruit features Steve Ignorant of anarcho-punk collective CRASS. Depression opens with a touching recording of the late Liam Norton, close friend and former touring companion, while Pete Holidai of The Radiators From Space contributes guitars on the song. Comedian Phill Jupitus provides the spoken outro for The Chancer. Housing For All incorporates audio from Derelict Ireland campaigners Frank OConnor and Jude Sherry. Venn Records owner and Gallows guitarist Laurent Lags Barnard joins forces with Adebisi Shank bassist Vinny McCreith on the aggressive Bullet, while Sophie Porter of Other Half provides bass guitar for Life is Not a Rehearsal. The album concludes with a three-minute spoken word piece by Frankie McNamara, the viral creator behind Meditations for the Anxious Mind.
In her 1990 protest anthem Black Boys on Mopeds, the late Sinead OConnor warned, To say what you feel is to dig your own grave. With this release, Meryl Streek firmly holds the shovel.
RIYL: Kneecap, Bob Vylan, Public Image Ltd, Crass
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