| Mew--No More Stories |
| Written by Neel Patel |
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The third Mew album is another testament to their musicianship. Never heard of Mew? Read Neel Patel's review and get excited. Mew’s breakthrough album Frengers melded dream pop, art rock, and prog so well that the album was bombastic and warm all at once. The follow-up And the Glass Handed Kites perfected the ability of most great progressive bands to create an album so cohesive and tightly knit that it felt like one long, dark, awesome nightmare. So what was next for the Danish band?The first two singles off the album gave some insight as to where the band was heading with the new album No More Stories… (the real title is an 8-stanza mini-poem). “Introducing Palace Players” is upbeat, yet odd; the guitars twang and the drums keep an irregular beat. But as the song moves forward, it’s clear this is a Mew track, and it bursts into an epic melody that has the grandeur we have come to expect from the band. The vocals fill the song and the keyboards get louder, and the odd guitar parts become comforting. “Repeaterbeater” starts off with a crash and rocks hard, then becomes catchy and even a bit danceable. I suppose that’s what the “repeater” part of title alludes to. And that is how much of the album plays out. No More Stories… is more accessible, upbeat, and danceable than any of the band’s previous works, and yet it still retains their trademark splendor and unpredictable shifts. “Hawaii” and “Beach” are the most straightforward tracks on the album and certainly feel like music to be played on vacation at the beach, and yet the two songs do not diminish the dreamy nature of the album. “Hawaii” is especially evidence of this, the latter half of the song features bells and cymbal crashes mixed with Jonas Bjerre’s choir-like vocals. “Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy” is arguably the catchiest song on the album, but even then it never stagnates. Like any great prog-rock band, Mew changes the formula at every turn. Lyrically, the album separates itself from the band’s previous two efforts. Frengers was emotional and tender, And the Glass Handed Kites had a theme of fear and darkness about it, and this album comes off as positive and optimistic (most of the time). Opener “New Terrain” gives us the lines “As long as we're me and you / We should not lose terrain”. “Hawaii” tells us cheerily “Good luck trying to be someone / If you make it then you've won / You'll grow up to be someone”. The musicianship is top notch, as it’s always been. There’s really no reason to explain it: if you haven’t listened to Mew before, go out and find the track “Am I Wry? No” and you’ll see what you’ve been missing. For what is probably Mew’s most accessible album, No More Stories… is still an amazing that never leaves you feeling bored. If you want something happy yet challenging, this is the album for you. 4/5 Wooves |
