Formed in 2011, British quartet Mellor has earned some high praise and interest from fans and media alike, and there are plenty of reasons to expect things to continue and get busier around the band with the release of new EP Damage/ Joy. Four tracks which leap and bound into the imagination, the EP is a rousing slice of kinetic indie pop easy to get a healthy taste for.
The band itself calls their sound “Pop Smack”, but it can be best described as raucous Brit pop with an arsenal of twists. On the EP, it is like a galvanic stomp woven from the indie adventure of The Jackals, the punkishness of a Top Buzzer, the eighties fervour of a Purple Hearts or Secret Affair, and the transatlantic mischief of Weezer. It is a sound which has already lured potent attention through a trio of singles and a debut EP to date as well as a highly praised live presence which has seen the band share stages with bands such as The Milk, Carl Barat, and The Kooks. Now it is the turn of the Mo Hausler (Babyshambles, Everything Everything) produced Damage/ Joy to whip up fresh ears and appetites the way of Reading quartet Gary, Josh, Evert, and Sam.
The release gets straight down to it too with opener Win Me Over. Punchy rhythms and a fine clash of guitar swiftly springs a hook lined swagger which soon has hips and ears locked into it’s a seriously catchy and flirtatious stroll. Bursts of feisty energy and aggression add to the spicy drama on offer whilst its melodic infectiousness and rhythmic shuffle is not too far removed from sixties beat bands like Herman’s Hermits.
It is a gripping and eventful proposal entangling a host of flavours across the decades into its bouncing body; a treat of imagination emulated again in Dolly Daydream. A slower but no less enticing proposal which gets increasingly compelling with every minute, the song is a serenade of emotive keys and vocal prowess within rhythmic shadows and an underlying but restrained urgency. It is an energy which gets more of an escape in the riveting Going Nowhere, a track which from its delicious opening groan of bass has ears and appetite on board. Sultry caresses of guitar and melodic seducing need little time to captivate the listener either whilst fiery grooves and the ever potent vocals, as well as that persistent dark lure of rhythms, ensures enjoyment is full to the rim.
The EP closes with Schadenfreude; a rip-roaring romp of indie rock ‘n’ roll with again a breeding in each of the past five decades via various strains of galvanic sound. If reading all the references to times and flavours past triggers thoughts that the band may have missed their time in musical history, be rest assured that Mellor, certainly going by Damage/Joy, is very much a band of the now and one of those with the potential to eventually steer the adventure of the British indie rock ‘n’ pop scene.
Damage/Joy is available from 11th March 2016 via iTunes and other stores.
http://www.mellorsounds.com https://www.facebook.com/melloruk https://www.twitter.com/melloruk
Upcoming Live Dates:
Saturday 12th March – Oakford Social Club – Reading (READING EP RELEASE SHOW)
Friday 25th March – The Railway – Winchester
Friday 8th April – Sebright Arms – London
Pete RingMaster 10/03/2016
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Boisterously anthemic, the track is matched and swiftly surpassed by Egyptian. More controlled in its entrance, the song quickly prowls ears vocally and musically as the guitars of Mark Cadden and Donavan McBrien cast nagging unrelenting bait with the brooding bass of Ciaran Fitzpatrick growling around them. As the persistence and intimidation of guitars and Shane McGovern’s heavily jabbing beats continue to brew a thick tempting there is no mistaking an early Therapy? feel to the encounter, especially when Cadden spills some potent sonic enterprise into the brewing tempest. The song simply continues to grip as it leads the listener into the even more impressive Divided.
The Shy Lips began in 2012, created by vocalist Adam Benrahmoun Johansson and bassist Victor Pettersson. The idea of the band sprung up during travels in Europe and South America where the two met and bonded, the creative thoughts bred becoming a reality once the two moved to Gothenburg and recruited drummer Anton Ekedahl and guitarist Alexander Lisinski to their musical cause. Band members come from the differing climes of Morocco, Poland, and Sweden, and bring an eclectic mix of inspirations and ideas which openly add to the variety and drama of the band’s sound. The Shy Lips were soon luring in potent and loyal support once emerging, an increasing fan base growing up around them through their live presence backed by eagerly devoured songs such more recent singles She was Born in Bahia and That’s Where I Belong. A pair of EPs have only reinforced their impressive emergence and striking sound too, luring in attention from fans and media alike not only at home but across a trio of continents. Now it is the turn of Bahia Part II to awaken another breath of hungry reactions, a done deal here sure to be emulated far and wide.
and passion for more with every twist in its armoury
the lead into a weave of vocal harmonies and expression from across the band. That in turn is cradled by a tapestry of keys bred elegance and enterprise. The song emerges as a gentle maelstrom of gripping ideation and aural fascination, the vocals as varied and riveting as the spatial grooves and rhythmic shuffle courting their narrative whilst every immersive note is an exotic kiss upon the senses. Like soaring through a refreshingly muggy landscape, the track is enthralling leaving body and emotions submerged in blissful exploration.
the appetite for an infection bleeding anthem. As with its predecessor there is no room for excess fat in the songwriting or the delivery, every note and chord a stripped down persuasive wash of unfiltered rock ‘n’ roll with the vocals of Stock feverishly backed by Ringsell, a matching riveting rub of ears and imagination.