Once again, folk rock seems to be suffering from a distinct lack of relevance. After a revival in the 1980s, the style has since fallen by the wayside, and for good reason. Most modern folk rockers have lost the power of protest or the sense of dissatisfaction that first made folk rock such a powerful medium.
The latest release from the Indigo Girls, “All That We Let In,” is an unintentionally sad testament to this loss.
Apart from folk rock as a genre, the album is not worth much on its own. The music is clean-cut and bland from beginning to end, so much so that it’s hardly noticeable except as a mood setter. This musical dryness puts all the weight on the lyrics, which alternate between laundry lists of relationship quibbles and vague political protests. All of it is lighthearted enough to be likable, even if it doesn’t have much of an impact.
The lyrics just never strike any hard notes. They’re too vague to have any specific meaning but not abstract enough to encompass any larger concepts. And while there are hints of a political agenda, the band makes no serious stands. “Do we tether the hawk or do we tether the dove” is about as direct as it gets.
The music expresses a severe case of complacency. Nothing in the album isn’t musically safe, and no chances are taken either lyrically or compositionally. The music has no edge and nothing new to offer, meaning that it serves no purpose other than as radio filler. While it might be listenable, in the end it means nothing.

Now for something a little more off the beaten path. Local punk band Minethirtyseven has just released a self-titled EP in which they at least make an attempt to do something new within their niche. The band generally plays straightforward melodic punk, but makes things a little more interesting by including slightly more complex arrangements than the standard three-chord riff.
The experiment doesn’t always work, however, either because the band isn’t ambitious enough to take it all the way or because they don’t yet have the ability to do so. Either way, there is a lot of potential in the group, provided they work through some of the problems that are evident in this recording.
One of these issues is the band’s obvious Pixies influence. Like most bands inspired by that particular brand of indie angst pop, Minethirtyseven has trouble making the sound their own. At least they don’t actively plagiarize from “Doolittle,” unlike a number of mid-1990s bands I could mention.
Overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses on the EP. One standout track in particular is “In the Event of a Water Landing.” The song has a rough guitar sound and a killer chorus that propels it to a climax of sustained borderline chaos. It’s the real powerhouse track on the recording.
So, while the band is still at a stage where they could either become worthwhile or just another processed emo clone, they’re worth looking into. If they learn some better instrumental and lyrical chops before their next recording, they could really set the city on fire. They’ll be playing tonight with Yeltsin and Pelletgun at the Black Forest Tavern, located at 50 E. 11th Ave.