The brothers Cris and Curt Kirkwood have experienced a rollercoaster life through nearly 30 years as Meat Puppets. Their story includes signing to the seminal US punk label SST, transitioning from punk to their trademark – œcow punk’ sound, their role in Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged and a tragic trail of drug addiction and prison. Through all of this, they have kept coming back to the music, something so intrinsic to their lives that they have tellingly called the album Sewn Together.

The title track is a light trip though the sound that the band has settled on over the last few albums. Country and folk-rock flavours float by casually, a million miles from their punk beginnings. As with many songs on the album there are also subtle psychedelic elements that weave through the music, particularly in the hazy voices and the washes of guitar.

Blanket Of Weeds carries a ZZ Top influence, pared-down but still insistent in the chugging rhythm that, mid song, takes a left turn into early Smashing Pumpkins backwards guitar. The two parts are then brought together in one harmonious sonic clash.

I’m Not You is the song Sewn Together sped up and with a backwoods chicken scratch banjo added. It doesn’t add up to a memorable inclusion, but it does set the scene for the interesting instrumentation that pop ups occasionally on the rest of the record. We get beautiful cascading piano on Smoke, whistling on The Monkey And The Snake and disco-wah-guitar on Love Mountain.

Lyrically, the album veers between fantasy images and feelings of loss; charting the darker side of the soul. Sapphire takes the tone down to a dark and ominous place of waterfalls, streams and black flames; a feeling of suppressed, damaged emotions. Clone on the other hand has sci-fi elements like: “Now the magic science knife/Is cutting up the molecules of gold/Now the magic scientists/Are patching up the fabric of the soul.”

The most interesting aspect is the interplay of the instruments. The brothers, alongside drummer Ted Marcus, cleverly build up layers of guitar, bass and drums, then adding highlights of piano, guitar effects and simple yet effective vocal harmonies. Out of these arrangements come constant references to other bands such as REM, The Lemonheads, Masters Of Reality and The Byrds. As soon as one appears, though, it is quickly replaced by another. The sum of their influences maybe; but the result is rather unique and special.

Sewn Together sees Meat Puppets weaving the many strands of American punk, country, and rock into one singular formula. Credit must be given to the Kirkwood brothers for their persistence and the ability to keep the music honest – even when the rest of their lives were in disarray. This album shows that a dark ragged beauty inhabits their music. It will be another of those records that keen music fans will discover as they delve into the influences of many contemporary bands.

Sewn Together is out now on Megaforce Records through Stomp.