Maypole is currently on tour opening for the Wallflowers. Connected by former Wallflowers' guitarist Tobi Miller, the bands must make for a thoughtful evening. Like the Wallflowers, Maypole has intriguing lyrics. Analyzing lyrics for two such bands at one concert must be heavy going. Seen live, better to let the words and thoughts just slip past you and hear the music as one piece, an aural experience.
In addition to Miller, Maypole is Hans Hitner (guitar, vocals), Miiko Watanabe (bass), Hugh Mangrim (drums), and Chris Frankfort (tremofect/lap steel). All songs are written by Hitner who says he uses a writing technique called bombing - start with a feeling, add randomness, and let your mind take you away. Just as you think you've grasped the meaning of part of one song, the words shift away, and the new lyrics reflect back on those behind altering the interpretation.
So the lyrics are full of hidden meanings and multiple interpretations, a la early R.E.M. The music, though, is surprisingly straightforward. Miller sets the band's musical direction, and his major influences are the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Other influences are the Clash, Police, Rocket from the Crypt, and the Replacements. The sound is very much alternative and very familiar. Without those strong lyrics done in Hitner's gravel voice, there wouldn't be much new here. Somehow the familiar musical style mixes with the bizarre lyrics to arrive at an interesting, unusual sound that anyone can listen to.
Product's first single is "Concrete Shoes" which is a catchy tune with some indepth lyrics that seem to be about heroin or water but are really about bitterness, suicide, the contras. Despite the lyrics, you could be humming this song after the second listen. A little lighter track is the first, "Going Dutch" which has some puzzling lyrics as well but a jaunty tune. The band has some heavy things to say in Product, but they don't mind if you don't get the point. Listen to the music, but let the lyrics go by like clouds.
