Even if you've never heard them, Special Wishes will undoubt
Aquarius Records | San Francisco | 09/17/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's funny, for years, you couldn't find a Harvey Milk record to save your life. Reissues, cd-r's, rumors about the band all trickled out and were lapped up by all of us ravenous doomdrone hounds desperate for more music from this mysterious Southern dirge rock behemoth. Then suddenly, a few years back, things began to change, Courtesy And Good Will Toward Men got reissued on the tUMULt label, a cd compilation of singles came out, and then the Kelly Sessions. We were loving it. But then it all stopped. Nothing. Until we started hearing rumors again about reissues and more excitingly, a reformed HM and a new record!!
And you know what? The rumors were true, the band is back together, and just released this here brand new album. Hot on the heels of the amazing DVD I raved about, and alongside a double disc reissue of Courtesy (with a bonus live disc!), Special Wishes makes us want to just lay down and weep. That's how much we love this band. And how long we have been dreaming about this day. Very few bands can inspire such ridiculous loyalty and utter fanboy obsession. But Harvey Milk are pretty much unlike any band ever. When ranking the weirdest heaviest, GREATEST bands of all time in our heads, Harvey Milk are ALWAYS there, and almost always in the top 5, and depending on our mood, often in the number one spot.
With most bands, we tend to recommend older albums, you know, the new one is for fans only, but if you don't already own any records start with this other one. But even if you've never heard Harvey Milk, Special Wishes will undoubtedly convert you to the way of the Milk. And you WILL have a new favorite band.
The record starts with "I've Got A Love" a crushing pounding slow motion jam, with howled anguished vocals (that Allan thought sounded like Eugene from Oxbow) and thick walls of downtuned guitar, and some weird grinding background drone. SO heavy and glacial it makes the Melvins sound like Blink 182. OK, maybe that's not entirely true, but you know what we're getting at. The next two tracks are equally dirgey, and brutal and impossibly, infuriatingly slow and heavy. But then comes "Once In A While" a groovy classic rock / Southern rock jam, that sounds like Paw on 16 rpm, pretty and melodic, but somehow still way too heavy and creepily ominous. Up next is the appropriately titled "Instrumental" which combines HM's pummeling sludge, with some seriously acrobatic prog rock arrangements, like a super heavy Don Cab. Two more tracks of crushing glacial beauty, plodding brutality, pop hooks buried beneath two tons of guitar sludge, completely and mesmerizingly pulverizing. Then it's The One. Our favorite song of the year. A song so completely unlike anything Harvey Milk has ever recorded, but somehow a song that couldn't have come from anyone else. "Old Glory", the tale of a flag, or THE flag, a strangely beautiful pop song, finger picked acoustic guitar, gorgeous melodic crooning, and a sudden burst of lush psychedelic guitar harmonies, eventually the band kicks in, with massive guitars and probably the most kick as- classic rock guitar lead to ever grace an underground rock record. Full on "Freebird" sh-t. Wow. One of those songs that we listen to over and over and over. A song that sounded so totally out of place on first listen (although we loved it immediately) but became sort of the heart of the record for us. The final track is almost even weirder. "Mother's Day" is a massive and majestic epic, warm warbly organs, dreamy violin playing a mournful melody, with "God Bless America" melodies all over the place, when the band finally kicks in, it's like the underground doomdirgesludge version of that last song all c0ck rock and classic rock bands play live, huge soaring chords, everyone swaying back and forth, lighters held high, it sounds like a mistake, but at the same time it sounds so f-cking good.
Which is pretty much an apt description of Harvey Milk in general. Confusing and confounding, crushing and majestic. But totally f-cked up and emotional and brilliant, and still as far as we're concerned quite possibly the greatest band EVER."
Record of the year, anyone?
Chinaski | waiting at the bar (thirsty) | 04/28/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Harvey Milk deserve your attention. An odd musical proposition, they appear to be having a laugh, yet remain deadly serious. Heavy like planets but often beautiful. Unique. Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men is possibly the greatest record ever made. This really is a no-brainer. If you're having trouble deciding, listen to Mothers Day. A worthy candidate for replacing the national anthem. Its kind of like an incredibly beautiful fat girl proposing to you after a night on the tiles. Makes you you all weepy and cosey inside."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1