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Mellor_RingMasterReview

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 11^th March 2016 via iTunes and other stores.

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