Glenn Meling
Minnesota
(Horus Music Distribution)

Glenn Meling’s third album, Minnesota, mines U2 so much, from the plinky guitar sounds, the atmosphere for purely atmosphere’s sake and even the Bono-like breathy vocals that you will be reminded maybe a bit too much of the Irish band. Not that his songwriting and playing isn’t solid through. From opener “Alive,” with its distorted guitar wash and plucked single notes and the chorus opening up wide, to the title track’s neat-o bass line and chorus cry, to the groove of “America” (again with solid bass playing from Meling), he keeps to his commitment to tell a conceptual story here, plays well, but I feel wears his obvious influences on his sleeve a bit too much. Then there is “The Good I See In You,” a gem, an album break out, the best song here, and what truly Meling might best be capable of. Here we get a mournful horn, no hint of Bono, and simple, slow bass playing. This is the stuff or brilliance and worth the price of the album, really. Minnesota ends with “Free,” more guitar noodling distortion and back to the U2 stuff (we even get a “raging fire” in the lyric). The harmonies here are nicely layered and he does maintain a good, cool soundscape.