Mettle Hugo Largo

Released on 1/1/89 by Missing Piece Records
Main artists: Hugo Largo
Genre: Rock

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The shift in approach between Hugo Largo's 1987 debut mini-LP Drum (co-produced by Michael Stipe and defiantly artsy in its approach) and the band's 1989 follow-up Mettle, is instantly noticeable. The forward momentum of the opening bassline in "Turtle Song" snaps the listener to quick attention, and it is soon followed by vocalist Mimi Froese's singing, which is both more straightforward and intelligible than it was on Drum. Does that mean that Mettle was Hugo Largo's breakthrough/sell-out moment? Did the promotional material titled "Brian Eno Wants You To Hear Something—A Band Called Hugo Largo And A New Album Called Mettle" yield gangbuster sales? Absolutely not. There is likely no universe in which a band composed of two bassists, an electric violinist, and a vocalist as singular as Froese could be credibly accused of sacrificing their originality for the sake of chart success; the very essence of the band is defined by its other-ness. Still, Mettle is a much more direct and robust-sounding album than Drum, trading in the latter's willful obscurantism for a more confident style that showcases the band's strong musical chops. Produced by the band—with a separate production credit for Hugo Largo violinist Hahn Rowe, who also engineered—Mettle immediately comes across as a strong, definitive statement. "Turtle Song" is perhaps the most accessible song the band ever recorded (it was released as a single ... it even had a video!), setting the stage for an album that is dynamic and exploratory. It's also a much bigger sound with expanded instrumentation including guitars and strings, as well as a more spacious production approach. Hugo Largo is, on Mettle, just as utterly unconventional as before, but they never veer into the sort of self-conscious "whimsical" sounds of some of their "art-pop" contemporaries. The stuttering, awkward verses of "Ohio" seem naturalistic, rather than quirky, and the woozy swoon of "Martha" is hypnotic without being droney. The result is a dreamy, otherworldly sound that, while being highly individual to Hugo Largo, also invites the listener to immerse themselves in this unique soundscape. © Jason Ferguson/Qobuz

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Mettle

Hugo Largo

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Turtle Song