Mercedes
Mercedes certainly have a lot going for them at the moment, including support slots with Coldplay, playing the Carling Stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals, encouraging reviews in publications such as NME and Kerrang! and regular plays on both Steve Lamacq and the legendary John Peel's shows on Radio One.
So, considering the amount of hype surrounding this band, I was expecting to be bowled over by their latest release, 'Daydream'. Sadly, what greeted my ears was nothing to write home about. To put it lightly, their relentlessly bland sound makes dull-piano-tinkelers (and past label-mates) Keane look like Motley Crue. Beginning with a melody that would be at home on a slightly watered-down Placebo record, the song never picks up speed or features any kind of noticeable melody, whilst the layered dual-harmonic vocals, beautiful as they may be, lack any depth or raw emotion.
The second song, Sinc, sounds embarrassingly similar to Daydream, to the point of actually having to check that yes, this is actually listed as being a different song. Unsurprisingly, it's as wishy-washy as the previous track, and sounds like the kind of song most metal bands produce when trying out a slower number, only to live to regret it.
Lastly, Can't Stop uses exactly the same tone as the previous tracks, and quite blatantly steals the melody from Muse. Actually, the entire song sounds like a tribute to Muse, but don't let that comparison fool you, this tedious little extra isn't worth a second (or even a first) listen.
Sadly, Mercedes' latest single is less of a daydream and more likely to send you to sleep.