Mew - 'Comforting Sounds' (Epic)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
'I don't feel alright, in spite of these comforting sounds...'
What a way to start a song. No matter how gorgeous the sounds being made are (and believe us, they're pretty special), they're still not enough to make Mew raise a smile. Not that they're renowned for being miserable either. This is an achingly beautiful, but still undeniably quirky Danish indie pop band with a penchant for Christmas singles who at times sound strangely akin to recording a Sigur Ros track on high-speed dubbing.
Nevertheless, on this effort, something's clearly upsetting them, lyrically at least. 'Nothing is pure anymore but solitude...Nobody has gained or accomplished anything. Blimey. Musically however, it's practically a lullaby, overflowing with dreamlike swooping strings, harps, guitars and angelic vocals. Theme-wise, it might come across a little dark, sure, but isn't that the case with all good lullabies; that one with the cradle falling out of the tree is pretty traumatic if you think about it... In fact, imagine a Danish My Bloody Valentine covering that, and you've pretty much got this band's third single to date.
If only Mew were that easy to pigeonhole. If only there were enough words to describe how you simply don't want this record to end. Thankfully, the album version is a whole five glorious minutes longer than the single edit, but even that doesn't fully give us the hit we require. Let's face it, the world needs comforting sounds possibly now more than ever. And those present here might just be some of the most comforting ever written. They might not make Mew feel alright, but they'll definitely send everyone else to sleep with a contented smile on their face.
Artists in this article: Mew, Mewgatz
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