Mineral- The Power of Failing

Mineral-​ ​The​ ​Power​ ​of​ ​Failing​ ​(1997)

This​ ​is​ ​definitely​ ​a​ ​very​ ​personal​ ​choice.​ ​I​ ​grew​ ​up​ ​as​ ​a​ ​‘90s​ ​emo​ ​kid,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​much​ ​different​ ​than​ ​what​ ​the​ ​word​ ​emo will​ later ​become.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​18​ ​and​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​figure​ ​out​ ​life​ ​and​ ​my​ ​own​ ​emotions​ ​when​ ​this​ ​came​ ​out,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​and​ ​songs meant​ ​so​ ​much​ ​to​ ​me.​ ​Mineral​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​forefathers​ ​of​ ​the​ ​second​ ​wave​ ​of​ ​emo.​ ​Don't​ ​even​ ​try​ ​to​ ​compare​ this ​to​ ​what​ ​the average​ ​person​ today ​thinks​ ​emo​ ​is​ ​via​ ​My​ ​Chemical​ ​Romance​ ​​Fall​ ​Out​ ​Boy, Dashboard Confessional​ ​or​ ​something​ ​like​ ​that.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​something​ ​so much​ ​different,​ ​less​ ​commercial,​ ​less​ ​image​ ​based​, ​and​ ​just more​ ​raw.  

I mean, this​ ​is​ ​raw,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​lo-fi.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​small​ ​production,​ ​poorly​ ​recorded​ ​in​ ​many​ ​parts.​ ​This​ is ​late​ ​1990s​ ​DIY,​ ​touring​ ​in​ ​a​ ​van, eating​ ​Taco​ ​Bell​ ​on​ ​$5​ ​a​ ​day​ ​music.​ ​​ ​The​ ​rawness​ ​and​ ​emotion​ ​that​ ​screams​ ​from​ ​Chris's​ ​unique,​ ​unusual​ ​and unsteady​ ​vocals​ ​is​ ​what​ ​makes​ ​this​ ​album​ ​special.The​ ​loud,​ ​soft,​ ​clean​ ​and​ ​distorted​ ​guitars​ ​feeding​ ​off​ ​one​ ​another​ ​to create​ ​harmonies​ ​along​ ​with​ ​the​ ​driving​ ​bass​ ​lines​ ​create ​the​ ​symphony​ ​of​ ​dynamics​ ​that​ ​leads​ ​to​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​of​ ​sadness and​ ​regret within the finely crafted walls of Christianity that Chris( vocalist) lived in at the time.

1.​ ​Five,​ ​Eight​ ​and​ ​Ten-​ ​"​ ​To​ ​put​ ​me​ ​on​ ​this​ ​pedestal​ ​and​ ​make​ ​me​ ​feel​ ​so​ ​naked"

This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​song​ ​about​ ​the uncertainty​ ​of​ ​growing​ ​up,​ ​who​ ​to​ ​trust,​ ​who​ ​to​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​and​ ​the​ ​social​ ​anxiety​ ​that​ ​life​ ​sometimes
causes. It was me when this song came out.

I​ ​love​ ​how​ ​this​ ​song​ ​unfolds.​ ​The​ ​last​ ​minute​ ​and​ ​half​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song​ ​always​ ​leaves​ ​me​ ​wanting​ ​to​ ​scream​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​along
in​ ​unison.

2.​ ​Gloria-​ ​“Cause​ ​I​ ​just​ ​wanna​ ​be​ ​something​ ​more​ ​than​ ​the​ ​mud​ ​in​ ​your​ ​eyes,​ ​I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​clay​ ​in​ ​your​ ​hands”

My​ ​favorite​ ​song​ ​on​ ​the​ ​album.​ ​​ ​It’s​ ​a​ ​song​ ​about​ ​love,​ ​especially​ ​one-sided​ ​love, but ​this​ ​song​ ​is​ also clearly ​about​ ​depression.

Damn,​ ​if​ ​we​ ​all​ ​haven’t​ ​found​ ​ourselves​ ​attached​ ​to​ ​someone​ ​in​ ​our​ ​past​ ​that​ ​didn’t​ ​care​ ​about​ ​us​ ​as​ ​much​ ​as​ ​we​ ​cared
about​ ​them.  I know when this album came out, I felt that way 24/7.

I​ ​love​ ​how​ ​heavy​ ​hitting​ ​this​ ​song​ ​comes​ ​out​ ​only​ ​to​ ​slow​ ​it​ ​down​ ​to​ ​revel​ ​in​ ​the​ ​despair​ ​of​ ​Chris' lyrics.​ ​This​ ​song​ ​is​ ​filled​ ​with so​ ​many​ ​dynamic​ ​moments.​ ​​ ​Again,​ ​the​ ​last​ ​45​ ​seconds​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song​ ​goes​ ​somewhere​ ​completely​ ​different​ ​than​ ​typical song​ ​structure​ ​expects​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​so​ ​beautiful. This whole album does this.

3.​ ​Slower- ”​It's​ ​just​ ​not​ ​the​ ​same​ ​when​ ​you're​ ​staring​ ​into​ ​a​ ​perfect​ ​golden​ ​sunset​ ​and​ ​thinking​ ​about​ ​how​ ​you​ ​sold​ ​your
soul​ ​to​ ​send​ ​the​ ​rain​ ​away”

This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​song​ ​about​ ​depression​ ​and​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​find​ ​happiness​ ​by​ ​doing​ ​the​ ​right​ ​thing.​ ​Dynamics,​ ​Dynamics
Dynamics,​ ​and​ ​raw​ ​emotional​ ​lyrics​ ​with​ ​distorted​ ​guitar​ ​and​ ​noise.​ ​​ ​Once​ ​again​ ​at​ ​like​ ​4:10​ ​in​ ​the​ ​song,​ ​after​ ​a​ ​great
noisy​ ​breakdown,​ ​the​ ​song​ ​ends​ ​in​ ​a​ ​dramatic​ ​way​ ​to​ ​emphasize​ ​the​ ​elements​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song,​ ​but​ ​to​ ​do​ ​something​ ​it
hasn’t​ ​done​ ​yet.​ ​I​ ​love​ ​the way it does this ​so​ ​much.

4.​ ​Dolorosa- ”​​I​ ​long​ ​to​ ​touch​ ​your​ ​face”

This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​slower​ ​paced​ ​song​ ​that​ ​is​ ​seemingly​ ​a​ ​noisey,​ ​distorted, ​ ​call​ ​to​ ​arms​ ​gospel​ ​song,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​an ode​ ​to​ ​Jesus​ ​or
Christianity in general.​ Like ​Bono,​ ​Chris​ ​was​ ​a​ ​Christian​ ​who​ ​used​ ​some​ ​Christian​ ​imagery​ ​in​ ​their​ ​songs, but didn't really want to be associated with budding Christain Indie rock movement.​ ​This​ ​song is​ ​a​ ​good​ ​example of​ ​it.​ ​Very​ ​few​ ​lyrics,​ ​but​ ​stays​ ​right​ ​to​ ​the​ ​point.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​2​ ​minutes​ ​drags​ ​a​ ​little,​ ​but​ ​after​ ​it​ ​starts​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​up, it starts to bring it.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of
my​ ​least​ ​favorite​ ​songs,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​still​ ​brings​ ​surprises​ ​to​ ​me when I listen to it.

5.​ ​80-37​ ​​ ​“But​ ​things​ ​they​ ​change​ ​and​ ​people​ ​grow​ ​and​ ​move​ ​in​ ​step​ ​with​ ​the​ ​green​ ​paper​ ​flow​ ​but​ ​deep​ ​inside​ ​I
wonder​ ​or​ ​maybe​ ​I​ ​already​ ​know​ ​they​ ​they​ ​never​ ​really​ ​find​ ​the​ ​answers”

A​ ​song​ ​about​ ​nostalgia​ ​and​ ​regret​ ​with​ ​relationships.​ ​The​ ​sadness​ ​that​ ​comes​ ​from​ ​reflecting​ ​on​ ​the​ ​origin​ ​of​ ​broken
relationships​ ​on​ ​why​ ​and​ ​how​ ​it​ ​happened.​ ​They’ll​ ​never​ ​take​ ​the​ ​good​ ​days.​ ​This​ ​song​ ​has​ ​so​ ​much​ ​sonic​ ​aggression
but​ ​still​ ​filled​ ​with​ ​surprise​ ​on​ ​where​ ​the​ ​song​ ​is​ ​going,​ ​I​ ​love​ ​the​ ​bassline​ ​that​ ​resonates​ ​throughout​ ​this​ ​song.​ ​I​ ​love
how​ ​the​ ​song​ ​changes​ ​with​ ​the​ ​tone​ ​of​ ​the​ ​lyrics.​ ​The​ ​aggression​ ​of​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​seem​ ​to​ ​match​ ​the​ ​aggression​ ​of​ ​the
song. One of my favorites.

 
6.​ ​If​ ​I​ ​Could​ ​“And​ ​she​ ​folded​ ​up​ ​her​ ​fears​ ​like​ ​paper​ ​airplanes​ ​and​ ​lost​ ​them​ ​in​ ​the​ ​trees”

This​ ​is​ ​another​ ​sonic​ ​dynamic​ ​masterpiece​ ​with​ ​some​ ​grueling​ ​heart-tugging​ ​lyrics.​ ​It​ ​goes​ ​back​ ​and​ ​forth​ ​from​ ​quiet​ ​to
loud.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​can’t​ ​handle​ ​that,​ ​then​ ​you​ ​already​ ​know​ ​this​ ​album​ ​isn’t​ ​for​ ​you,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​love​ ​the​ ​way​ ​this​ ​song​ ​uses​ ​it​ ​with​ ​its
lyrics.​ ​​ ​Man,​ ​3:30,​ ​when​ ​the​ ​distortion​ ​comes​ ​in,​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​my​ ​favorite​ ​moments​ ​in​ ​music,​ ​and​ ​then​ ​how​ ​the​ ​song​ ​closes
out.​ ​It’s​ ​just​ ​beautiful​ ​and​ ​what​ ​late 90’s​ ​emo​ ​is​ ​all​ ​about​ ​in​ ​one​ ​section​ ​of​ ​a​ ​song.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​my​ ​absolute​ ​favorites.

7. July “The sun fell down again last night on my anger, the sun fell down again last night on frustration”

This one has some cool sonic dynamics again. This song isn’t as meaningful as others to me, but I still really like it. I like the weird solo that comes in around 3:10. Mineral did such a great job of never being too predictable while still fitting in an overarching genre.

8. Silver “And happiness is just a dream or so it seems. It's something that I can never see”

This is a slow-paced weeper. It’s my least favorite, but I really like the overall vibe. I just don’t think it is aspiring as the others. It’s more generic.

9. Take the Picture Now “My cup is full and my heart spills awkward and embarrasing blood”

I like some parts of the song, but it doesn’t have the emotional output as others, but still solid. The second weakest song on the album for me.

10. Parking Lot “And when i'm finally naked and standing in the sunlight I'll look back at all this selfishness and foolish pride and laugh at myself”

The album ends with a strong one. This one has everything you want in a Mineral song. Sad, descriptive imagery in lyrics- check. Dynamic guitars- check, driving bass line- check, slow build into hysteria- check. A powerful ending where you are screaming along to the lyrics- check.