So often is the case when a "super group" is formed, we automatically expect a great deal. I would even now go as to say the first word of juxtaposition (being ‘super’) has begun to lose its meaning slightly. The term is basically used for every group that feature members of other bands who are still in existence, regardless of their previous statuses. So what do you assume when you stumble across a ‘new’ band who consist of John Petkovic and Tim Parnin of Cobra Verde, Dave Sweetapple of Witch and finally J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr? I can assure we all have an idea of what Sweet Apple will sound like. Think muddy guitar licks, post-grunge pounding drums, a consistancy of straight up Rock anthems and there we have it, you’re pretty much spot on.
The album launches straight in to a melody like it never started, which have been so common with album and gig openings from Dinosaur Jr in the past. ‘Do You Remember’ is the first single from ‘Love & Desperation’ and it's a delightful insight to what the other eleven tracks have in store. The riff-tastic jams are frequent on this record. Tracks like ‘Flying up a Mountain’, ‘Hold Me I’m Dying’ and ‘Never Came’ are all simple, but effective examples as to why we listened to rock music in the first place. It may not hallucinate your mind with a warp of experimentation but ‘Love & Desperation’ does offer some variety. We are treated to lighter power ballad-esque anthems such as ‘It’s Over Now’ and ‘Can’t See You’, as well as the acoustic-y click track driven ‘Dead Moon’.
However, there is by no means anything wrong with ‘Love & Desperation’. It would indeed be wishful thinking to assume a collaboration of stoner-rock legends can straight away produce a total leftfield of musical production and Sweet Apple present an LP that sticks to a formula that fans of Dinosaur and Witch have grown accustomed to 25 or so years. At least if the music doesn’t instantly grab your attention then the cover art certainly will. In what I assume is a tribute to the visual iconography of Roxy Music’s ‘Country Life’, ‘Love & Desperation’ shows that there is definitely still some life in these old dogs yet.
Words: Freddy Rothman.
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