You might have heard of the band Mineral, who released 2 albums in the 4 years that they were together (1994-1998). If you have not, you should educate yourself. Seek out an listen to the albums, The Power of Failing and EndSerenading. The Power of Failing specifically is one of the better inde/emo releases of the 90’s, comparable to albums by Sunny Day Real Estate and the Appleseed Cast. The term “emo” had not been thrown around very much (if at all) yet, so most of that music still had integrity.

In 1997, the vocalist and bassist of Mineral, Chris Simpson and Jeremy Gomez formed a side project called The Gloria Record, “Gloria,” possibly being a reference to the Mineral song of the same name (and probably their best song). They put out 2 EPs and one full length, Start Here. This project disbanded in 2004.

Chris Simpson is simply one of the best vocalists. He almost forces you to “see” his words rather than hear them on almost every track. In that respect it is hard for one not to feel what he is feeling during a song. Start Here is a bit different than Mineral’s offerings. It adds a synthesizer and more acoustic guitar. While this is not a bad thing, Simpson’s voice is so distinctive, you are pulled back to Mineral and wait for a hard driving guitar and break neck drums to invade the record at anytime, but the tempo is kept to a slower pace. The synthesizer is well placed even when it wanders off at the end of a song, and coupled with the strong bass, they provide a powerful framework for each track, making them all significant to the whole album. There isn’t a track that does not belong. The album commands your attention and will not be reduced to something played in the background, even at it’s slowest. The songwriting is intelligent and not wasteful.

Personally, of the two, I prefer Mineral, but The Gloria Record’s Start Here is an outstanding record. It will definitely satisfy the need to keep going after the second Mineral album ends.

Standout tracks: Start Here; Good Morning, Providence; The Immovable Motorist