A Review by The Phantom Tollbooth

January 1999 Pick of the month

EndSerenading
Artist: Mineral
Label: crank! records
Time: 10 tracks / 47:38

After what seemed an endless wait, one filled with countless delays, Mineral's post-mortem swansong EndSerenading was finally released by crank! records. And it was well worth the wait. EndSerenading delivers everything Mineral fans have come to expect and more. This release contains all the melancholy and emotion of previous material, but it also gives something new: solid production. Recorded and mixed by Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Knapsack, Boys Life, etc.), EndSerenading has a much crisper, cleaner, and more polished sound than their first release, The Power of Failing.

But don't get me wrong...this is still emotional indie rock at its best. Chris Simpson's emotion-drenched, slightly off-key vocals and Scott McCarver's feedback-laden guitar playing are backed by an aggressive rhythm section composed of Gabe Wiley on drums and Jeremy Gomez on bass. Much like their other material, the lyrics on EndSerenading explore the realms of youthful memories, love, and faith...but a faith that always seems to be mixed with a little despair. In their own words:

How will I drink from that stream?

How will my heart sing your praise?

How will I lay down in green grass fields,

when my soul is so afraid to rejoice?

Sadly, Mineral is no more, calling it quits well before the release of EndSerenading. Luckily, they left us with another testament of their ability to take > pure emotion and wrap it in song. And fans of the band can take consolation in the fact that Chris and Jeremy have gone on to form The Gloria Record (who have an ep coming out soon on crank!) while Scott and Gabe have formed Imbroco. Also, Gabe drums for Pop Unknown (who have an ep coming out soon on Deep Elm).

By Linc Leifeste (12/6/98)