Endeavour to Persevere

Endeavour to Persevere has the unfortunate fate of following the classic Barracudas LP Mean Time. A fine album in its own right, Endeavour to Persevere doesn't quite measure up to its predecessor. With a solid lineup returning and Chris Wilson perhaps more integrated into the band, the playing here is wonderful, with chiming 12-strings once again the order of the day. The material, unfortunately, isn't up to the standard of the band's last set. No doubt, the first two tracks stand up with anything on Mean Time, but after that it's a little uneven. "Dealing With Today" is swirling, jangly, and poetic. "Nothing's getting any easier/I heard my best friend say," sets the tone for the album (and for life if you live in reality). Gluck goes on, "He keeps everything for himself/He don't give nothing away." Track two, "Leaving Home Again," could just make the room start spinning on you, with exquisite "ahhhs" behind Gluck's near-shouted vocal. "Song for Lorraine" is another winner, with dual vocal tracks — one in each ear. From there, though, the pickings get a little slim. "Black Snake," which sounds like it could've been written for Roky Erickson and the Aliens, easily makes the grade, and there is some nice straight-ahead English folk-type stuff to be found, but basically you need this only after you've been blown away by Mean Time.