Meat Puppets - Mirage { vinyl }

Mirage finds the Meat Puppets slipping into a sunburned groove, where desert psychedelia, punk instincts, and country-tinged weirdness blur into something hazy and addictive.

Originally released in 1987, this fourth studio album marks a confident step forward for the band, refining the unruly energy of their early records into a looser, more melodic shape. Coming off years of hardcore chaos, Mirage feels like a band discovering space, letting songs breathe while still keeping their mischievous edge intact. It is a transitional moment that quietly set the stage for their late-80s creative peak.

The sound here is warm, warped, and unmistakably Southwestern. Tracks like “Evil Love,” “Dusty,” and “Confusion Fog” drift between jangly guitar lines and off-center rhythms, while “A Hundred Miles” stretches out with a woozy, slow-burn charm. Curt Kirkwood’s vocals sound relaxed but sly, floating above arrangements that feel deceptively simple yet subtly twisted. There is a sense of humor running through the album, but it never undercuts the sincerity of the songwriting.

This vinyl LP reissue gives Mirage the analog treatment it deserves, enhancing its earthy tones and laid-back psychedelia. For listeners who favor the Meat Puppets in their exploratory, genre-blurring phase, this pressing captures a band learning how to turn chaos into atmosphere, and doing it with a crooked smile and a lot of open road in mind.