Meryl Streek - ‘Songs For The Deceased’ review
Meryl Streek by Nic Howells
We have made the most of every minute we can get with Meryl Streek in 2024. After appearances on their own headline tour, Manchester Punk Fest, Bearded Theory, and 2000Trees, Meryl Streek makes a bold return with Songs For The Deceased. The new release oozes fury, as well as love for Meryl’s fellow man. The punk-pushing-on-protest style of Streek is a very established model, and Songs For The Deceased is the latest in a library of dedications that he has made. Here’s what we thought:
Opener, ‘Welcome’, acts like the rising curtain of a play. Streek’s work is firmly grounded in reality, which fuels the intensity of his music. Audio snippets from live speeches and news clips create a montage-like introduction, immersing listeners in the harsh realities faced by those Meryl empathises with. The samples range from composed and informative to raw, emotive, and enraged. It’s a straightforward but powerful way to set the album's tone, culminating in the defiant statement, “Say it loudly, and proudly, Fuck You”.
The first track to feature Meryl’s performance, ‘Fine Jail’, feels like striking a match. The initial scream and relentless, fast-paced tempo ignite the album’s energy. Lines like “Don’t let these Pricks stop you” land with particular force; while much of Streek’s music is centred on individuals or specific stories, this track channels his direct, pointed style. It transitions smoothly into ‘Bertie’, adding samples that lend an unsettling atmosphere. Rebellion against the system remains a constant theme, but ‘Bertie’ sounds like the moment when rebellion shifts from a conscious act to something deeply personal. The biting lyrics are especially effective, with the line “a Mercedes bellend” standing out as a memorable jab.
‘If This is Life’ emerges as the album’s standout track. Reflective and still brimming with Streek’s signature intensity, it carries an undercurrent of melancholy. One notable feature of Streek’s music is his use of light, melodic keys and guitar against the ever-present percussion. In ‘If This is Life’, this contrast is harnessed to its fullest, giving the track a cinematic quality that broadens its appeal while still addressing pressing societal issues. The recurring refrain, “If this is life, then I don’t want it,” serves as both a central hook and a narrative voice, possibly spoken in character, given the later line, “I want to live a life over 50/Like so many failed to do”. The track underscores the broken system that younger generations are forced into, where the struggle to achieve even modest goals leads many to question whether it’s worth trying to live within it at all.
‘Counting Sheep’ is a marathon of a track by Streek standards. At just under 4 and a half minutes, Meryl is furious for almost all of that. ‘Counting Sheep’ gets a bit existential, it feels like it should be expressing futility, but Meryl’s rage is quite inciting to make people want to act in protest, to chase something even if it yields little or nothing to avoid just being that “sheep” he references. The ending of “if I was still sitting beside you, I’d be half a mile back” feels especially direct as if to ask “what are you waiting for?”. That anger dissipates somewhat with the sonic difference in ‘Dogs’ as this is a lot lighter musically. It keeps the punk beat, but in more of a rhythmic fashion than an aggressive one. The aggressive nature instead builds through vocals from Streek and guest vocalist Chisel. By the end, this feels less like the usual performative style and more just actual shouting. Whether that is to really encapsulate the animalistic style based on the song’s title or to match the tempo of the song is a different question, but either way, it makes for one of the more incendiary tracks on the album. ‘By One’s Hand’ is raw and aching, capturing the fatigue of a life stuck in repetitive cycles. This track made for a very jarring part of the listening process, as the news snippet of “The deceased took his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed” really swung the door open on the album’s title. Streek does a great amount of work in his tracks so that they almost feel like episodes based on a particular person, this is the one track that hammered home what happens to people day to day, with the repetition of that news snippet being somewhat tortured in the sense it keeps happening.
‘Paddy’ marks a stark shift in pace, slowing things down significantly. This track has been a staple of his live shows for a while, and it carries a deeper emotional resonance, especially for Meryl. The song centres on Meryl’s emotions towards others, predominantly anger, yet here it’s evident that we are witnessing his pain, yearning, and reflection—a rare glimpse of the person behind the songs on this album. The pacing of ‘Paddy’s’ emotional weight is accentuated by ‘Interlude’ immediately following, with a different vocalist, Benefits, taking the reins for this brief transition. It’s a simple yet effective move, and the shift in voice underscores the universality of these struggles.
From there, “Gambling Death” explores the tragedies of addiction and suicide, interweaving news clips in a similar vein to ‘By One’s Hand’. The message is explicit, with lyrics like “The last chance he took was the one that got him,” highlighting individual experiences, while a news sample featuring the statistic “Six and a half thousand suicides were registered in the UK” points to the larger, rising crisis. The inclusion of the “eeny meeny” sample suggests that the true culprits lie in the events leading up to such tragedies, rather than the final actions themselves.
‘Terrance’ has long been a fixture in his live sets, and is one of the moments when Meryl steps out of the songs to dedicate this track to the young man it’s named after. The song centres on police misconduct, and knowing Terrance’s story makes Streek’s vocal delivery especially haunting. It’s a stark account of the lack of accountability following a grave abuse of power. The line, “This is a song for Terrence,” feels like an act of immortalisation, highlighting how other attempts to honour and seek justice for Terrence have been suppressed.s like an immortalisation of sorts when it’s made clear that other efforts to remember and find justice for Terrence have been silenced.
‘The Industry’ represents a significant thematic shift in the album, turning its focus towards the music industry itself. The track serves as a critique, positioning the industry as one of the “deceased” entities the album aims to document. It critiques a system driven by profit and image, prioritising these over more meaningful values like human connection, happiness, and wellbeing. It’s hard to dispute the notion that the mainstream music industry has become something of a hollow shell of its former self, but ‘The Industry’ manages to articulate this while still retaining a mass appeal, thanks to its rhythmic drumbeat and strategic use of samples.
In contrast, ‘Murder’ returns firmly to the album’s core theme, aligning closely with ‘Terrence’. However, where ‘Terrence’ is anchored by a specific name and story, ‘Murder’ is impersonal and focuses solely on the act itself and the rage it evokes. It portrays a harsher reality, shedding light on the broader issue of accountability, or the lack of it. The track is delivered with raw, unfiltered anger, punctuated by Streek’s final scathing words, “You fucking bellends”.
The album closes with “The Stardust,” a poignant tribute to the victims of the 1981 Stardust nightclub fire in Dublin. This track stands out for its avant-garde approach, departing from the punk style to solemnly name each of the 48 victims. While this could be perceived as a mere recounting of facts, it becomes an incredibly emotional and heart-wrenching experience as the list steadily grows. Streek also incorporates news snippets, capturing the enduring fight by the victims’ families for justice. There’s a belief that the fire was a result of arson—a theory dismissed at the time—though a recent inquiry returned a verdict of unlawful killing, bringing the case back into the spotlight. The track, despite its tragic theme, offers a sense of closure, ending the album on a note that suggests a continued fight for justice.
Meryl Streek’s album is a visceral experience. The array of emotions, stories, and direct challenges to deserving targets highlight those overlooked in history. It’s clear how ambitious this record is, given the weighty subjects it tackles and the pointed accusations against those who failed to act. Each track demands engagement, challenging listeners to confront issues of politics and justice. In this sense, Streek’s work is a triumph. While simply raising awareness might suffice for some, this record calls for action. With each track, Streek’s message and style become sharper, culminating in an album that refuses to be ignored.
Songs For The Deceased from Meryl Streek is out now via Venn Records and available on all good streaming platforms.
