Mind Spiders - Inhumanistic - Red Vinyl (/300)

Mind Spiders - Inhumanistic - Red Vinyl (/300), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dirtnap (2013)

This is the 3rd Mind Spiders album in the last 3 years, and without question is the best one to date. More straightforward than the others, it really showcases Mark Ryan's strength as a songwriter and how he's updated his sound to keep this project different from The Marked Men. Now, that being said, I will likely compare everything this man does to his work in The Marked Men and that comparison will always probably favor his old band just due to my person taste in music. I understand why Mark would want to strike out and create a band that stands alone and Inhumanistic is about as complete of a success you could achieve doing this.

This iteration of Mind Spiders will appeal to Jay Reatard fans, as you can hear similarities to what Jay was doing in 2008 when the Matador singles were being released. While the songs all have strong hooks, they're kept a little subdued, almost mechanical, and that creates a an interesting vibe throughout.

If you've been lukewarm about Mind Spiders in the past, this record is absolutely worth giving another chance and if you've been a fan previously, Inhumanistic will stand as their crowning achievement thus far. Some of the weirder rambling of the past have been jettisoned in favor of a lean, straight shooting album. Hopefully in 2014, it'll be 4 straight years of Mind Spiders records.

Mind Spiders - Inhumanistic:
dirtnaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/mind-spiders-inhumanistic