Mock Orange’s indie-rock left-turn: "Mind Is Not Brain"
This post was originally written as a part of an on-going "Waxing Nostalgic" column on October 27th, 2010.
By definition, Mock Orange’s Mind Is Not Brain may not have been “ahead of its time,” but I do believe their 2004 record missed its time in the spotlight. Coming off of two fairly successful independent emo records (Nines & Sixes and The Record Play), Mock Orange took a complete left turn and released First EP, a solid slab of crunchy indie-rock. Some long-time fans complained about the major change in sound, but many sensed the turn coming after The Record Play’s slower tempos and stylistically varied tone.
Mock Orange seemed poised for a breakthrough with what would be their sixth release—and their first full-length featuring their more accessible new sound. The band recorded Mind Is Not Brain in 2003 with producer J. Robbins (Dismemberment Plan, The Promise Ring), but the record would not see a release until over a year later. The reason behind the delay? Their label at the time (Dead Droid Records) had been sued by George Lucas for copyright infringement (they have the patent on the word “droid”), and the record got caught in the crossfire.
A delay of just over a year might not sound like a long time in hindsight, but imagine having what you thought could be your best record yet but you can’t even release it. It certainly felt like a long time to me between the announcement and then not getting to hear it for another year. I genuinely believe that with the right label and promotion, Mind Is Not Brain could have at least reached the audience it deserved: indie-rock fans.
What sells the album the most—to my ears—is that guitar tone. Mock Orange is conservative with their distortion, using a slight overdrive to enhance the clean guitar tone rather than pushing it into the red the whole way through. Their penchant for stop-start rhythms and off-kilter guitar lines from their mathier days still show up here and there (“This Nation” and the title track are good examples), which meshes well with their newfound ability to build and crescendo a song towards a satisfying conclusion (“Payroll”).
Singer/guitarist Ryan Grisham’s voice and lyrics remind me a bit of Stephen Malkmus at times (especially the opening of “I Keep Saying So Long”), and fans of Built to Spill will enjoy his guitar style. It’s riffy and melodic, but not afraid to get a bit jammy when the time comes for it. I’ve always thought that Heath Metzger’s drumming is what helped Mock Orange’s earlier material stand on its own two feet—he’s extremely talented; on Mind Is Not Brain, he reins it in a bit, but you can still hear how great a drummer he really is in his fills and subtle accents.
So, if you’re in the mood to take a chance on a record—and like me, you have a soft spot for the sounds of 90s indie rock—Mind Is Not Brain might be right up your alley.
Mock Orange didn’t stop there though: Captain Love continued the indie-rock trajectory with great results in 2007, then in 2011 they released Disguised as Ghosts—a folkier, more subdued album. In 2016, they released a comeback album of sorts with Put the Kid on the Sleepy Horse which came out via Topshelf Records.
Don’t just take my word for it, though; I’ll leave you with some samples of what other people have said about Mock Orange’s Mind Is Not Brain:
Sounding like a Midwestern Modest Mouse high on Pavement, they delightfully rip through stabbing indie rock and crunchy (ironically) feel-good melancholia. […] Mock Orange really are indie rock’s secret weapon — they are above the emo fray, hark back to greats like Hüsker Dü as well as contemporaries like Love As Laughter, and never rely on the simplicity of overplayed punk-pop. Frankly, they can do it all, always with an unhinged lo-fi edge, and not giving them some serious attention would be criminal. – Allmusic.com
Grisham’s melodies throughout are as good as ever, and often pack quite a range, making them very original and never cliché. […] Mind is Not Brain showcases a hard-working band finding their strong suits and creating an all-around great album. There is not a track of filler on this album. – Punknews.org
That’s it, that’s all. Be excellent to one other.