His Mischief describes its music on its myspace page as “Spoon playing Queen.” That’s a pretty fair assessment. There’s a lot of similarity to Britt Daniel’s Austin quartet in terms of the band’s ragged whiplash chords and power muttering. Songs like “Shalom! Shalom!” and “Rock Song (Hyperopia)” rip with squelching distortion and spit-stained vocals. The latter has a catchy-as-hell chorus that is equal parts punk and underground. The bunched-up guitar, rip-roaring chords, and bouncing ball bass of “Captain’s Ship” careen to forge a song fit for slow-motion skanking. His Mischief plays indie the way indie should be played: stripped down, raw, and largely incoherent. The guitar sounds like a beaten Fender Jaguar hooked up to a garage sale amp and there’s little in the way of studio refinement on Summer’s Eve. That’s a good thing. There’s a limited catalogue on this EP, but what is there stands firm with solid rhythms and catchy misfit melodies. There’s some potential in this Saint Paul addition to the rollicking indie guitar rock library.
--Matt Wendus
