RIPENING (AIN'T IT STRANGE) (MUSTARD VINYL) | VINYL RECORD (LP)

Mike Pope, Discover Mike Pope, the legendary San Diego, CA underground artist brought to you by Blind Owl Records. Ripening (Ain't It Strange), released alongside Songs for People High & Low, is the rock 'n' roll antithesis to the folk sound that drove the label to document his songs on tape; like a modern day Alan Lomax. Trading ornate guitar picking and serene melodies for gritty poetic punk, it's Dylan going electric in '65, on a conceptual ride that is reminiscent of Joe Strummer's solo work and early Talking Heads. The album showcases Pope's more experimental side, calling on the talents of producers Dude Cervantes and Jordan Andreen to harness the raw energy of his electric rock band. There are welcome nods to Billy Bragg, Neil Young in his most ragged glory, and even a heavy dose of Mdou Moctar's Nigerian psych rock influence with electric guitars chiming through an echoplex. "Whereas Songs for People High & Low was a slow-burn culmination of songs that I'd written over time," Pope explains, "Ripening just sprang. I had all these open-tuning solo acoustic songs that I had pieced together into what I was calling a 'song poem'." Every song serpentines into the next, devouring the energy of the prior track and transforming it with the imagery of Pope's storytelling. The vivaciousness comes alive to exemplify Mike Pope and his raucous trio firing on all cylinders - a favorite from Blind Owl Record's "100% Certified Analog" collection, and regular on the turntable. "The guitars bristle in a Big Star era manner. It all inhabits an entirely different musical sphere than his previous work. While the folk tunes were sautéed & tasty this is deep fried with a crunch - tasty, nevertheless." - Americana Highways "The contrast between the two albums couldn't be greater, but then again, it serves to shore up Pope's proficiency as an artist of daring and defiance." - American Songwriter "Pope's lead vocals and the trio's musical compositions parallel some of the pioneers of decades ago, from The Clash to R.E.M to Nirvana." - San Diego Troubadour