Sound Advice: Meat Wave with The Dirty Nil

Chicago threesome Meat Wave’s name apparently causes giggles and results in a lot of questions (fair enough, as it was reportedly taken from the headline of a 12-year-old story from The Onion: “

Dozens Dead In Chicago-Area Meatwave”). But the group’s name isn’t (or at least shouldn’t be) as head-turning as its vibrant take on modern Post Punk, displayed magnificently on Meat Wave’s recent full-length (and debut for the esteemed SideOneDummy Records), Delusion Moon.

The trio — singer/guitarist Chris Sutter, bassist Joe Gac and drummer Ryan Wizniak — came together in 2011 in an effort to start a project that was a bit more of an aggressive outlet than the members’ other bands at the time. As evidenced by the following year’s great self-titled/self-released nine-track album, the chemistry between the three musicians was instant. And while certainly intense, forceful and cathartic, the sound Meat Wave forged isn’t a chaotic blur, marked instead by a melodic finesse and well-crafted, memorable songwriting and arrangements.

As Delusion Moon’s two-minute title/kick-off track shows from the onset, in the three years since that self-titled release, Meat Wave has honed its compelling sound into something sharp and bracing, yet also accessible and with the ability to reach fans of a variety of genres. The songs are punchy and lyrically mix humor, personal musings and non-didactic, socially aware commentary. But the snarling-to-soaring melodies have a caressing effect, creating a riveting balancing act that Meat Wave presents with unwavering confidence. You can hear echoes of Chicago’s Post Punk legacy — and, yes, as is often noted in reviews, fans of Hot Snakes will dig the band — as well as other ’90s Indie Rock fare (the new album could’ve been released on a label like Touch and Go or SubPop were it released in 1996), but Delusion Moon grinds with distinction. It’s one of this year’s finest Rock records and is hopefully just a hint of things to come from the Chicago crew.