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Meryl Streek is the frontman of a politically-outspoken Irish avant-garde punk band from Dublin. The group began when he left his former band to try and give a voice to those he saw struggling in his home country, wanting to devote his life to helping others the best he can. His debut album '796', which was mostly recorded in his then-home of Vancouver, has become one of the most important political records of the decade thus far, shining a light on important issues in Ireland and he continues to do so on the new LP ‘Songs For The Deceased’.
The record starts off with ‘Welcome’ which sets the tone of the record instantly, talking about the increasing poverty problem in Ireland and the corruption of the government. The epilogue includes a series of people talking about these problem with such harrowing stats as “1 in 6 people working in Ireland are still living in poverty”, before underlining the ongoing issues that the people of Ireland are facing.
‘Fine Jail’ starts off strong with a singular scream that launches into a catchy beat. This goes on for most of the song before the vocals begin, shouting about the problems they have with the people in charge of the country - “There are 5 million people in this country and these are the dickheads we have making decisions” and “They can only bleed you for so long until you come back fighting”. Meryl Streek are back and they are using their voice for good once again. This then seamlessly slips into the next track ‘Bertie’, which starts off with vocals almost immediately. The anger in his voice is evident as he sings about yet more issues he's passionate about. This song is filled with unique riffs that grow heavier towards the end, serving to highlight his vocals.
‘If This Is Life’ is a beautiful song that talks about what he wants out of life and how hard it is to achieve that with the way the world is going. It's best summed up with this extended quote from the song - "20-29 year-olds are living at home with their parents, policy decision after bad policy decision, it's the number one thing. People need to take their power, people need to raise their voice, it won't change unless the young generation really stand up". The sentiment continues in ‘Counting Sheep’, which has an almost eerie sound to its beat, turning into an angry and emotional chorus. There is one lyric that particularly stands out - “Trying to live and survive when everyone around you is a sheep with a desk job”. This crucial line does an impeccable job at describing how easy it is for the young generation to succumb and fall into a 9-5 job when almost everyone wants more out of life. ‘Dogs’ is next, which starts off with a different vibe to the other songs we've heard so far, with an almost techo-feeling beat, but evolves into a much more traditional punk sound by the end of the song and feels quite different to most of the album.
‘By One's Hand’ discusses the repetitive feeling of life working a 9-5 job whilst struggling with poverty. This track really picks up towards the end, the raw vocals really bringing a sense of anger to the song. This is just further evidence that Streek really cares for what he sings about, with the passion in his voice removing any doubt on the matter. Moving onto the next song ‘Paddy’ which is a really important one for the band. Meryl dedicates this song to his uncle, which is a beautiful sentiment and shows the importance of family even whilst you're combatting oppression.
After an interlude allowing a brief moment to breathe, the next song is ‘Gambling Death’ which starts off really strong with a heavy riff and gritty vocals, singing about the struggles of both gambling addiction and suicide. The band uses a clip stating "Six and a half thousand suicides were registered in the UK, that's 686 more deaths than the previous year". Next comes ‘Terrance’, a song that talks about a boy of the same name, who was only 18 years old when he was thrown in jail after a massive case of police injustice, simply because he bought a paintbrush in a shop. Meryl Streek speak up on this case that has been swept under the rug, as they dedicate this song to him and use his experience to speak up about the corrupted police force.
‘The Industry’ really stands out as it talks about something that isn't discussed a lot within music, discussing the extreme prices some people pay to get into gigs and festivals along with the struggles of being an artist within the industry. ‘Murder’ begins with a slow but melodic riff that becomes more distorted as the song progresses. Opening with the line, “You got a life sentence but got out after five years on good behaviour, got time to do it again”. This is something that happens far more often than it would appear, even for very serious cases, and the band do a good job shining a light on this issue.
Bringing the LP to a close, ‘The Stardust’ is a heartfelt song about a nightclub in Dublin that burnt down, leading to the deaths of 48 people. The group names every single one of the victims in this song. It is a case that will never be forgotten about. Those affected by the fire, as well as dealing with injury or loss, had to campaign for over thirty years for the causes of the fire to be re-examined - until finally in 2009 the original finding that the fire was caused by arson was retracted. This track raises awareness on the issue, but makes the point that justice still needs to be served.
Meryl Streek and his band have outdone themselves with this LP: every song discusses important issues and the injustices in the world. Whilst plenty of artists raise awareness of large issues, the specificity with which Streek has named issues is damning and raises a number of serious cases to argue against the Irish government and legal system. An album that will likely be lauded by many, this is a vital and political statement for the modern day.
'Songs For The Deceased' will be released on October 25th via Venn Records.
You can catch Meryl Streek on tour across the UK and Ireland in stores from October 25th to 29th, across UK venues from November 6th to 15th, and in Irish venues on November 29th and 30th.
Words: Kelsey Mainwaring
Photos: Meryl Streek
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