Chris the Swiss over at Music of the Moment has been all adrool over Mew's And the Glass Handed Kites for quite some time now, so I finally had to get around to giving it a listen.
I can't say that I'm quite as smitten by these Danish alterna-rockers as Chris, though I can certainly see/hear the appeal. At his highest range, the lead singer's voice is not altogether unreminiscent of the Sigur Ros guy's - albeit less whale-like and far more comprehensible (he sings in English, for one thing). As soundscapes, I find the songs quite effective, though I wish there was a bit more effort at traditional verse-chorus-verse catchiness here and there.
It might also be noted that the songs dissolve one to the next - concept-album-style - which makes for a nice, sinuous flow. In that regard, this effort reminds me somewhat of Mansun's Attack of the Grey Lantern, though - again - I think the songs on Lantern are stronger/tighter/catchier/etc. At the very least, the Mew effort makes for ideal background music to any number of activities, and I agree with Chris that the "Apocalypso"-"Special"-"The Zookeeper's Boy" is the record's best stretch. I also like "Chinaberry Tree," so I'm offering that up here as well.
And the Glass Handed Kites finally hit the U.S. marketplace on October 18th.
[MP3] [left-click] "Apocalypso"
[MP3] [left-click] "The Zookeeper's Boy"
[MP3] [left-click] "Chinaberry Tree"
1 comment:
I'm glad you do not completely dis-like the album! ;)
You're right with the catchiness though; this is an album that should be listened to in whole, and then it will reveal some parts that you won't forget. You should probably try to get your hands on Frengers, the album before Kites, which was more of a singles affair. Great songs on there as well, and worth checking out (especially Comforting Sounds, but you might already know that I'm becoming a total fanboy when it comes to that song! ;) )
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