Food Flavored Album Review: Modus Operandi by Mary Kelly

Modus Operandi by Mary Kelly is the musical equivalent of stir-fried udon noodles. But it is definitely not your normal stir-fry noodle. It is one that has a unique twist. Sort of like putting udon noodles on a sandwich or pairing them with Indian curry for a bit of Asian fusion. For my Modus Operandi experience, I chose the latter.

Mary Kelly has dubbed their style of music “grunge-core trash.” It resides in a bowl that is a long way from the electro-pop, indie jazz and alternative hip-hop that normally litter the pages of this blog. The backbone for the band’s sound is the grungy machine gun like guitars that start and stop in rapid succession. Like the varied peppers in a curried stir-fry, you never quite know what will come next. Are they mild and sweet hiding beneath an angry camouflaged skin? Or are they the brutal
burning ones that make you regret your decisions both on admittance and while exiting?

Following closely behind the guitars is Mary Kelly’s rhythm section. While the bass is certainly there, check out the beginning of “I’m Not a Buddhist (I’m Just Weak)” if you don’t believe me, the main player in the rhythm section is the drums. These guys range from slower down tempo movements to mile a minute bursts of blunt force trauma. I liken them to a good curry powder roux. It is the kind of thing that you don’t realize is there until it simultaneously hits your taste buds like a charging rhino and thickens that shit to a creamy sauce.

As a debut full length Modus Operandi offers quite a few unlikely gems. The starting point (or udon
noodles if you will) is the third track “Mushroom Soup”. From the first chord Simon Gibbins belts out lyrical screams at an alarming pace. These are offset by some samples of what sounds like astronauts corresponding over an intercom. Things slow down for a few seconds about two and a half
minutes in, just long enough for Simon to tell you about 600 horses he knows. After building up to an appropriate crescendo, he takes you out the way you came in, full speed ahead.

The next song worthy of a mention is the album’s first single “I’m Not a Buddhist (I’m Just Weak).” This track has everything I mentioned earlier: scathing guitars, pounding drums, breakneck speed, snarling lyrics and…a harmonica. Wait, what? You heard me right, a darling little harmonica solo magically transitions the guitar solo back into the catchy chorus. Imagine if Bob Dylan was abducted, sent to the nether regions of Canada and forced to perform with I Hate Sally. That is the only thing I can think of that is even remotely close to what takes place in this track. As far as the curry goes, “I’m Not a Buddhist (I’m Just Weak)” is like your pan-fried seitan cutlets, all meaty and fake and ready to be seared to hell by your pan. Unless, of course, you perform the ol’ switcheroo and use tempeh instead (like I did). In that case, it becomes less glutenous and more nutty.

Speaking of nutty, if the radio ever decided that it wanted to hold a contest to see how fast it could
piss off your Aunt Ethel, there is no doubt in my mind that they would choose “Penny Dreadful” first. This song has just enough pop and catch to it, that I could see it fitting nicely between Nickelback and Creed. Oh, Aunt Ethel likes country? No matter, throw it between Luke Bryan and Tim McGraw. “Penny Dreadful” can build a home anywhere. It is straight ahead, don’t stop until we reach the end, power grunge. Well, except for that one spot near the end where the band samples some sort of weird ghost like creature. Or is that just the sound broccoli makes when it is cut from the stalk?

Lastly important (and of lasting importance) is “Stained Glass Weirdo.” This is where the drums and lyrics really play lead fiddle. The song is about a bad relationship that constantly brings you pain on the same day every year. You’d be hard pressed to find any lyrics that resonate as much as these on the album. “Stained Glass Weirdo” nicely packages the contents of Modus Operandi together. It is sort of like the shoyu, ginger and vegetable broth of the album.

Mary Kelly’s debut full length, Modus Operandi, is certainly not for the faint of heart. It is hot, abusive and downright painful on your sensitive eardrums. But like anyone who chows down on a good curry knows, to experience pleasure, one must first navigate through the perils of pain. There is certainly pleasure to be had. Just take a moment to wipe those indie rock smirks from your blog's face and you’ll quickly see what the world of “grunge core trash” has to offer.

“I’m Not A Buddhist (I’m Just Weak)”:


 “Stained Glass Weirdo”:

Where We Eat: Issei Noodle

Usually J-Fur and I use the holidays as a chance to visit family (who always want to cook for us) and hit up some of the local Carlisle restaurants. For not being a big town, Carlisle has a number of independent food places that know how to throw down. Fay’s Country Kitchen makes some bad ass pancakes, the Market Cross Pub hits a bullseye with English Pub Grub and Massey’s makes the finest milkshakes I’ve had.

When I'm in Carlisle and seeking out something a bit lighter and lunchier, I go to Issei Noodle. Before the holidays locked us in for a couple of days, J-Fur and I joined her parents for lunch at Issei Noodle. The restaurant was very crowded when we arrived. Only one table remained, right by the door. This meant cold blasts of air each time someone came in or left (which was a lot). By the same token, it meant sitting by a huge window overlooking the main street of Carlisle (and watching old people try to parallel park).

My first order of business was to get an appetizer. During our previous visits, we went with the Vegetarian Fresh Spring Rolls served with a special plum sauce. These were awesome. But this time around, I wanted to try something different. When I spotted the words vegetable gyoza side-by-side I knew that was the place to go. My gyoza days started with a discontinued brand at Whole Foods which I would turn into this. They continued with tri-monthly visits to Trang Viet. The gyoza love affair pretty much ended with a baby onesie. I hoped to rekindle things at Issei Noodle. Their version of this appetizer was by far my least favorite of the three. Its crispy exterior and relatively empty interior came across as more of a thinned out samosa and less like gyoza. I did like the dipping sauce that accompanied it.

                      My Gyoza

J-Fur decided on an appetizer/meal of edamame. She was going through some bouts of nausea while in Carlisle, so she stuck with very simple foods. The edamame was good (although I have yet to meet a terrible edamame, I think it is the kind of thing that is difficult to f*** up). She didn’t share any with her father as he has a tendency to eat edamame whole (shell and all).

                        Edmame

My normal main dish of choice is the Veggie Yaki Udon. This is Udon noodles with sauteed seasonal veggies, steamed tofu and a sweet ginger-miso sauce. I wavered between the tried and true and the Don Buri (a rice bowl). I eventually went with the new and gave the Don Buri a shot. The Vegetarian Don Buri was full of seasonal vegetables such as red pepper, bok choy, basil, broccoli and onion. It was then covered by a very light house sauce and served over rice. The bowl was pretty big but it seemed slightly bland. Perhaps the creator of the dish is of the opinion that making it slightly bland allows the customer to season it how they want. I mean the table center is littered with additional condiments and sauces to help boost flavor. I added a bit of soy sauce to the rice which seemed to enhance the house dressing and provided the oomph the dish needed.

                       Don Buri Vegetarian

J-Fur’s mom also ate vegetarian. She had the Vegetarian Vermicelli Noodle basically because on her last visit she ordered the Veggie Tofu Ramen and was disappointed that the tofu seemed raw and mushy (a big faux pas in that family as they have texture issues). She didn’t say much about the Vegetarian Vermicelli Noodle and I was too stuffed to give it a try. But seeing that it was topped with gyoza and served cold, I probably wouldn’t have liked it.

My latest visit to Issei Noodle was not nearly as impressive as the first few. I partially chalk this up to making bad choices. Instead of ordering what I knew I liked and was impressed by, I tried other things that weren’t quite as good. That being said, it doesn’t give me a lot of confidence to walk into a place with few vegetarian/vegan options as is and not be impressed by any portion of the meal. Will I eat at Issei Noodle again? Probably. Maybe. But my confidence is a bit shaken.

My visit was enhanced by the sounds of the new self-titled EP from White Blush (aka Carol Rhyu). The EP forecasts six LA style electro-dream pop tracks that have the listener tiptoeing along railroad beams that are cross-sectioned with minimalistic synths, pulsing arpeggios and imposing industrial drum machine beats. Should you dance? Close your eyes and dream? Talk a walk along a snowy mountainside at midnight? Or watch the eerie movements that shadows make around a campfire? It is hard to tell. That is the magic of White Blush’s EP. It can be comfortable almost anywhere you are. Check out “Jolene":