Akron Family — Meek Warrior

Meek Warrior is a really mixed bag, both in musically style and I’m sad to say quality wise as well . When Akron Family shine they really do, everything fits into place and their music is an enjoyable place to be. But when they try to over stretch themselves and try too many things at once or attempt styles they clear only have vague notion of, it  all goes wrong.

Prime Example  of this is  the opener Blessing Force which tries to mix drum heavy psychedelic jamming rock, with stop and chant-around -the-camp-fire singing. They also try and mix in elements of folky flamenco guitar and   jazzy tingers, which just don’t seem to mesh at all. Frankly after nine minutes of this mess, you'll want to throw the cd out the window. Then next they hit you with the simply beautiful airy acoustic folk pop strum of Gone beyond, and you  just about forgive them for the first track, as you nestle into  it's warm charms. Later on they give us the gentle more hippyfied Animal collective air of No space in the Realm, with some simply beautiful ethic drumming refrain and soaring  jazz touched light instrumentation.

So really I have somewhat of a love hate thing going with Meek warrior, there’s some more than worthwhile moments to relax into. Then sadly there are two or three tracks which plainly don’t work and will never work, how  every many times there  played. Worthwhile a look, but prepare to be frustrated.