Nate Mendel is probably best known from being the bassist of Foo Fighters and the 90s alternative band Sunny Day Real Estate. Two weeks ago, he presented his first side project – Lieutenant – with his debut LP If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week.
The news of this release was a surprise, what with the Foo’s recent endeavor with Sonic Highways, it’s amazing that Mendel actually managed to find the time to record an album. And what’s even more amazing is why he hadn’t done this sooner. He’s been hiding away with some serious talent with not only being a great songwriter, but a great vocalist. A side that we’ve never really seen from him before.
Even though on the surface this is a solo feat for Mendel, the recording process of this LP saw the contribution from a few notable musicians, such as fellow band member Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters), previous band member Jeremy Enigk (Sunny Day Real Estate), Joe Plummer (The Shins), Page Hamilton (Helmet) and Josiah Johnson (Head and the Heart).
The thing about this LP is that it’s so far away from what you would expect from hearing that a member of Foo Fighters was releasing an album as a side project. The same goes with each of Foo’s bandmates and their solo projects, they all seem to be able to distinguish the band’s sound from what they are trying to do on their own. As a whole, Mendel seems to do this best. You can hear some influence from the Foo’s through the powerful guitar riffs – especially in the chorus of the track ‘Rattled’ – but the record as a whole has a distinguished, lo-fi, controlled Punk sound.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3f3ndYrVr0&w=740&h=422]
You can definitely hear a Sunny Day Real Estate influence through the alternative indie sound, but it’s much more ambient and relaxed than a lot of Real Estate’s music is, which can be seen through the opening track ‘Belle Epoque’. There’s really a dash from several genres splashed throughout this album as a whole, whether it be controlled punk, ambient indie or even the slight surfer rock sound of ‘Prepared Remarks’. Mendel manages to take a bit from each genre and influence to create his own unique sound, culminating in an astounding debut release on his part.
Mendel has already started touring with this album, which was a daunting task as he’s never been in the spotlight of a band before. Safe to say he’s been received with open arms, recently playing at SXSW at The Bungalow. Which must be a sigh of relief for Mendel, who’s already thinking about creating a second record through overcoming his fears of bringing it to the masses.
Words by Sophie