Mew - 'Frengers' (Sony)
4/5
By: Toby L
One of the year's best already, no contest.
Daring, textured and possessive of a foreign enigma not commonly associated with Denmark, it's the latter country's Mew that have transcended barriers to produce the most eloquent flourishing dial of sounds to ring through speakers since - seriously - God knows when.
And it's not exactly as if the foursome drop hit-singles as if they're going out of fashion - this is thoughtful, introspective, brooding stuff - topped off with a wholeheartedly dynamic approach to song-structuring and arrangements that compels right from the off, a shady 'Am I Wry? No'. It's all vociferous keys, Pumpkins-driving guitar and dreamy melodies, and securely interwoven with a My Bloody Valentine spooky finesse that's both comfortingly approachable and curiously mysterious at the same time. With vocalist Jonas Bjerre too, the band have in front one of the finest, uniquely-toned male talents for what seems far, far too long.
The components in place then, how come a band this good is able to exist in the songwriting stakes? 'SheSpider' rocks and jolts with frothy intensity, 'Comforting Sounds' - at a full, resounding 9 minutes - takes flight with strings, clanging six-strings and the additional, glorious tinker of the kitchen-sink (thus providing exactly what it promises in its name), whilst a scintillating 'Symmetry' is sweetly beautiful enough to prompt a worldwide flood of tears.
When they do experiment, miraculously, it ain't with a poseur-posturing pretension - instead serving up the Elbow-slump of '156' or Bjerre's inspired duet with Stina Nordenstam, 'Her Voice Is Beyond Her Years', altogether a potion to set the heart racing in a most restrained of inducements. Add to the equation soaring past single 'She Came Home For Christmas', and not only is this a batch of songs geared to spin heads, but the wondrous mark of a frightfully accomplished and engaging new talent has reared itself at an instant in its career that you'd have at least waited to witness in a third album down the line.
Mesmerising and pulling out all the stops, Mew are the glorious resonance of alt-music at its chilling peak.
Artists in this article: Mew, Mewgatz
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment