Grass & Independence


by Gary Chapin, Maine Times, 06.01.01

Mitch Alden, who more than leading NOW is NOW actually is NOW is NOW, writes that he "hoped the record would have the production feel of a Nirvana album, but the musical feel of Indigo Girls and Bob Dylan. And," he asserts, "it does."

And, I agree. The five-song eponymous EP does have that feel. The interesting triptych of influence, and Alden's success in evoking them, creates a curious feeling of timelessness. It's as if 1989 never ended and I were eternally late for Poli. Sci. class. This is more an observation than a criticism. Being viscerally reminded of my CD-buying glory days - when it was U2's world and we were all just guests in it - is ultimately neither distracting nor discomforting. Whatever the vein being tapped, how could hearing solid rock music, well-written, well-played, and well-sung, be anything but good?

NOW is NOW is creative, strong, and solid, and I recommend it. The music is melodic and heavy. The lyrics present dramas and character studies more than preachments or complaints.

Alden's method is to get into the heads of characters in books he's read, and write the song from their point of view. This allows a number of voices to emerge from Alden's voice, and creates variety at a level seldom reached by most songwriters. It's all part of the NOW is NOW back-story, which shows Alden thinking in a different way from others in the field.

Another part of that back-story involves Alden's approach to building a band. This goes beyond the scope of a review, and I don't want to sound like "VH1 Behind the Music," but it does say something about Alden that he has rejected the idea that a standing rock band - four guys hithing their wagons to one anothers' stars - is the perfect unit for rock expression. This idea, which Alden calls "the blood band," is like the radical individualism of the rock era. It is the assumption that cannot be questioned. The "blood band" provides musicians with a credibility that can be gained in no other way. It's an internalized "plays well with others" judgement.

Alden spent many years in "blood bands" before deciding that he no longer wanted to deal with the "volatility of his fellow band member's personal needs." He came to Maine and formed NOW is NOW. "I wasn't going to be playing with a strict band or unit. I believe it's better to book a show, then find players after you do that."

It's a risky approach. All the benefits of "blood bands" are forsaken, and Alden is left to rely on the professionalism of his momentary cohorts. Judging from this CD, which places three studio tracks next to two live recordings, Alden is making it work.