Mew’s newest is monotonous and thrilling all at once

You won’t blame me for starting off the review with this, right? Thanks dudes. So, then, here’s the title of Mew‘s newest album:

No More Stories
Are Told Today
I’m Sorry
They Washed Away

No More Stories
The World Is Grey
I’m Tired
Let’s Wash Away

*Wipes sweat beads from brow* Phew. Okay, onward, then.

Mew is one of those bands that is in love with the concept of “epic.” Many of their songs are awash in synthesizer tones that lift everything skyward. Their songs are the aural equivalent of the gods battling for about four-ish minutes at a time. Apparently, the first track on No More Stories..., when played backward, is another song entirely. So here we have a band that likes mystery. Mystery and big hooks.

The big hooks are there, and they provide some of the best moments of No More Stories… The first released song, “Repeaterbeater,” has an infectious climb to its singalong chorus, and the gang vocals of the reserved “Silas the Magic Car” are bound to strike an emotional chord.

These great moments are sprinkled throughout the album: the tweaked synth line following the vocals in “Tricks;” the stunning climax to the seven and a half minute “Cartoons and Macrame Wounds;” the eerie “Sometimes Life isn’t Easy.”

But, like I said, the moments are only sprinkled in. Maybe the album’s more of a grower than I can anticipate, but as it stands, the best parts of the album just serve to jolt the listener. It’s too easy to get distracted doing more interesting things (like reading Knox Road, for instance). Sometimes the band finds itself simply lost in its multi-layered compositions, and its hard to make sense of what’s going on as a result. Then we lose interest, and then the album jolts us back to life.

Guys, listening to this album can simply be tiring. As the year moves to a close, we’ll see if the work will be worth it after all.

Mew – “Repeaterbeater” [MP3]

Mew – “Silas the Magic Car” (MP3 removed)

Mew – “Cartoons and Macrame Wounds” (MP3 removed)

Mew on MySpace

Purchase No More Stories…