The Dayton, Ohio drum-and-guitar duo, Swearing at Motorists, have been releasing singles, EPs and compilations tracks since 1994, so this, their debut full-length, is long overdue. However, if you’re familiar with the accidental masterpieces, Bee Thousand and Vampire on Titus by lo-fi titans Guided by Voices, then you’re already aquatinted with Dave Doughman and Don Thrasher (both were in GBV at the time) and their warm, homespun, Midwestern indie-rock sound.
Swearing at Motorists has that feeling of ordinary fellows who just happen to make extraordinary music: the boys next door, Anytown, USA, who drink beer and play in their basement to amuse themselves and those lucky enough to get invited in to forget the world outside.
The Mellow Struggle is just about getting through the day, doing laundry, watching the clock and driving around aimlessly at dusk for no particular reason. Nothing to do but think about what you could be doing and should have done, yet too lost in your own fog to really do anything about anything except keep driving.
