Heartfelt indie balladry from hotly-tipped newcomers
You really can’t go wrong with strong lyric-heavy piano driven indie ballads. Look how successful Keane have been with that formula. But if you’re looking for a band somewhat off the beaten track, the newly reformed Mesh-29 would be it. In ‘Wide Awake’ they have a perfect album opener of stong production and clear vocals with the intensity building throughout the song. That seems to be a continuing theme throughout the album, especially when it comes to new single ‘White Light’, although personally ‘Strangest Conversation’ is the track I find the most intriguing. With it’s refrain of “don’t treat me like a fool beacause I’m not a fool”, there’s something endearingly damaged yet eternal in the way it’s sung.
Each song on this album is a remarkable piece of indie songwriting, and the musicianship is incredible, not an unnecessary not anywhere. If there was a fault, it would be that a lot of the songs are very much in the same vein, there’s no experimentation with the acoustic guitar and piano based balladry. Although things pick up on that score with the thundering intro to ‘Waiting For The Day’, which again becomes characterised as very much vocal-led although more chaotic in its approach to the music side of things. I can imagine it would be a difficult but stunning track to hear live.
Because it’s indie there’s a lot of heartbreak and restlessness in the lyrics, particularly in ‘Passenger Seat’, which is probably why a lot of the songs can sound the same. It’s a curious mixture: hopeless lyrics and swooping, optimistic music to go with it. But the lyrics always redeem themselves with cute little observations on human nature in each song.
There’s a new version of their first single, 2007’s ‘Barricade’ which initially reached no. 35 in the charts. Not bad for an unsigned band. This stripped-back version shows the delicate lyrics off to best effect, with the violin and piano giving a haunted and at times mocking accompaniment to the pained vocals.
Hailed as one of the best new bands in the last couple of years from several sources, this is a brilliant example of their brilliantly personal songwriting. Should happily sit alongside early Coldplay, Keane, and even Travis as far as indie ballads go. Expect to hear more of these chaps soon.