Mensen

Oslo City (Gearhead)

By Amber Drea
Published: August 6th, 2003 | 8:50am

Mensen is the Norwegian version of The Donnas, although there is nothing particularly Norwegian about them besides Mary Currie's cute accent, which is only occasionally detectable. Mensen lacks the kitschy humor and obvious sex-drugs-and-rocknroll sensibilities of the American band. However, they're songs are more complex and musically interesting -- at least, as much as you can expect from punk. Mensen does try to break out of the traditional style here and there, toying with rockabilly and classic folk-rock. And they like effects: vocals are submersed in reverb, the guitars maintain a light distortion, often sprinkled with feedback and accented with flange or tremolo. In addition to your basic drum kit, other percussion also makes an appearance, including the shaker and the rattle. The production on the album is a perfect blend of raw sound and professional mixing. Track 13, "I Stand Tall," reminds me a little of older Lush, something off Gala or Spooky. Currie's lyrics are usually serious in tone and are often cliched and unimaginative, rhyming seven with heaven and using lines like "Put my heart back on the shelf." The songs are anthems, especially with the high, late-'80s-era-metal style backup vocals. On "Keep Up!" Currie sings, "It's a way of gaining control/ It's a way of not letting them tell you where to go/ It's a way of not giving in/ You gotta keep on fighting those demons from within." "Twenty-one" is an homage to being in your twenties, in which Currie claims that at 22 you know what to do, 24 is such a bore, at 26 you get your kicks, at 28 you're running late, and at 29 you're last in line. She asks, "Don't you know that the only way is down?" Thanks for the depressing thought ladies. How old are you? I do admit that after a few listens to Oslo City, the band's second album, I found Mensen's songs growing on me. But for those of you who can't get enough punk-pop in their lives and are always looking for more, Mensen would be an ideal addition to your personal heavy rotation.