1993 Chrysalis
A more honest album on this earth cannot be found.
The two vocalists, MIkal Moore and Bryce Stephens, were 20 years old and 18 respectively. Guitarist Chuck Schaaf was only 17. drummer Rodney Moffitt was also 17, and bassist Jeff Morgan only 15. I still remember a phone interview I did with them in early 1994 when I was working at 100.7 FM The Tiger in Baton Rouge and the members called me ‘sir.’
Humbling.
There are bands twice their age with not one album in their catalogue as powerful as this one, yet ‘My Soul Is Wet’ stands to this day as Mutha’s Day Out’s only release, as they broke up in 1994 due to their disapproval over how their record label wanted them do things.
I admire them for standing their ground, especially at such a naive young age, and am saddened by the fact that mismanagement of a very promising and fiercely original young band robbed us all of the experience of ever knowing what they would have been capable of as they matured as a band.
‘My Soul Is Wet’ kicks off with an unbelievably powerful track called “Locked.” The mix of spoken word verses and a passionate, melodic chorus is chilling. Gives me goosebumps to this day. The honesty of raw emotion permeates every single moment of this album, as the innocence of young men reconciling their beliefs on their own terms is in plain view.
No kidding – track after track will have you shaking your head at the youth of this band. WAY before their time and wise beyond their years, Mutha’s Day Out took all their influences and boiled them into a stew that is entirely their own recipe. Vocalist Mikal Moore, upon ushering in bassist Jeff Morgan, described the band as an amalgamation of “Faith No More, Beastie Boys and Ozzy Osbourne.” Elements of all three are most definitely there, but the isolation of the rural Arkansas did these boys well as what they came up with is a sound unlike anyone else…before or since.
The word ‘chilling’ comes to mind, as tracks like ‘My Soul Is Wet,’ ‘Green,’ and “What U See/We All Bleed Red” (from the 1995 movie ‘Mortal Kombat” – see scene 2 in the techno bar) just turn your speakers into soul cleansing beacons of truth. ‘Dry Water,’ ‘Memories Fade’ and closing track ‘Ugly’ further prove the point that the demise of this band stands as an example of how some major-label know-it-alls don’t know as much as they think with their soul destroying guidance.
Really, once you’re on board with what they’re doing here, this is an album that can do no wrong. If I wanted to be a self-important critic (which I’m not – I’m just a fan of good music) I could nit-pick about the fact that there is the occasional rhyming cliche’ (like rhyming ‘change’ with ‘rearrange’ on the title track), but what we have here is an intelligent and REALLY rockin’ album with an undeniable depth and sincerity.
Creativity and really hammering chops ‘n hooks are just everywhere to be found. Fortunately, I’m not alone my opinion of this band. All over the internet, you can find this veritable classic for a nominal cost that belies its value and unanimous reviews that arrive at the same conclusion: They should have been FREAKIN’ HUGE!
If you love good, heavy jam with a sense of adventure, a little bit o’ (Good) humor – check out “Ding Ding Man” – brutal honesty and hooks for miles, buy this disc and turn it up real loud. And while you’re listening, remember that Mutha’s Day Out was, essentially a group of kids. Kids with intelligence way beyond their young ages.
Rating: 5 out of 5
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