Spanish Prisoners
Songs To Forget
Exit Stencil Recordings
This aptly named record contains ten cleverly named, but less cleverly assembled songs by Latvian expatriate Leonid Maymind. His family fled the Soviet Union just before it collapsed, and he’s bounced around the US making jittery rock and roll that might sound better in a club than on a disc. It’s not that the music is annoying, but maybe it lacks the melodic hooks needed to make pop music, the strident politics to make a political statement, or the flat-out weirdness to join the avant garde club. That’s not to say it’s a complete wasteland. “A Thousand Zimmermans” has a charming garage sound and lyrics that get your attention. But the overall effect is small songs sung with just enough energy and believability to sound acceptable, but not enough to burn his message into your mind.
Spanish Prisoners: http://www.exitstencil.org/spanishprisoners • http://myspace.com/spanishprisoners
