Love And War

"War is a constant and reoccurring state of man, as is love. And both are inseparable," says Myssouri vocalist/guitarist Michael Bradley, referring to the group's third full-length CD, War/Love Blues.

At first glance, the title may be a bit misleading, considering the United States' invasion of Iraq, which simultaneously unfolded while the group put the album together. But much like the Civil War history of the Midwestern state from which the group takes its name, Myssouri keeps its politics essentially neutral. War/Love Blues instead addresses the group's struggle to overcome harsh criticism and a myriad of interpersonal obstacles in order to release its most compelling and confrontational recording to date.

Since 1997 Bradley has guided the group through a revolving cast of players, forging a thunderous, punk-injected Spaghetti Western dirge style that draws comparisons to everyone from Nick Cave to 16 Horsepower to Leonard Cohen. So much so that critics and naysayers alike often dismiss Myssouri as a highly derivative act. Regardless of slights, the group has progressed, taking on an increasingly more eclectic rock sound every step of the way.

Myssouri started out with Bradley serving as its principal songwriter. After writing the lyrics and arrangements, he would bring in the other members to play the parts during live performances and the band's studio releases, Malamerica and the Furnace Songs EP. But with its members playing such a passive role, their other projects took priority. Compounding the problem, Bradley went through a divorce and took on the responsibilities of raising two daughters.

"People saw that and thought, 'There isn't a future with this group because this guy has a family,' so no one was ever devoted to the project," says Bradley.

After cycling through a handful of members, the group's line-up solidified with Mark Rogers (guitar and lap steel), Chris Reeves (drums) and Cade Lewis (drums) filling the empty chairs. Rejuvenated, the band also begin writing material as a group.

As a result, War/Love Blues takes on a depth and intensity that eclipses Myssouri's past recordings. Songs like "Terrible Lie" and "The Floorless Jig" lash out with flare and confidence previously unseen by the band. Others, like "March to the Sea" and "The Eyes of Others," are trademark Myssouri songs with a new swagger.

"I don't think Myssouri has ever been a one-trick pony, but people have a tendency to put you in a box and label you," says Bradley. "When putting this record together we considered changing the name of the group."

"Myssouri is now four guys operating at 100 percent and each of us is as important as the other," says Rogers. "There are bass lines that are totally Cade, and, if anyone else were to play them, they would sound totally different."

While Bradley is quick to point out that War/Love Blues is not the peak of Myssouri's output, it is the pinnacle thus far. Recorded over the course of a full year, he cites scheduling difficulties as the most difficult element of the recording process.

"We could put a better album together in a month if we didn't have to work around each others' day jobs and such," Bradley says. "It's not so much that it was a monumental undertaking, but it was spread out over a long period of time."

Reeves explains that creating an album that pushed their collective abilities to the limit was a necessity: "Everyone in the group has at least 15 years invested in being a musician, and we can't keep making $5 a night to play in front of two people. We have no choice but to make the best record we can possibly make and hope that people recognize it and respond to it."

chad.radford@creativeloafing.com