Mew

Denmark's Mew (Jonas Bjerre on vocals, Bo Madsen on guitar, Silas Graae on drums, Johan Wohlert on bass) managed to fuse the bombastic progressive-rock of the 1970s and the ethereal psychedelic pop of the 1990s in the catchy structures of And the Glass Handed Kites (2006). The convoluted chamber post-rock jamming of instrumental overture Circuitry Of The Wolf segues into the paradisiac lullaby of Chinaberry Tree. Why Are You Looking Grave leans towards post-shoegaze psych-pop with booming arrangement and ethereal vocals. Apocalypso is neurotic and suspenseful while remaining catchy and elegant. The Zookeeper's Boy delivers unlikely easy-listening muzak for angular riffing and limping drumbeats, while the more linear An Envoy To The Open Fields simply blends poppy progression and madrigal-like harmonies. The risk is to slip into the orchestral kitsch and pomp of White Lips Kissed, or into the melodramatic languor of the lengthy ballad Louise Louisa. The final apotheosis of Shiroi Kuchibiruno Izanai embodies both what is grand and what is great about their music.

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 (Columbia, 2009) is a more melodramatic and theatrical work. Most of it is show, at best achieving the disturbing atmosphere of New Terrain. The lengthy Cartoons And Macreme Wounds boasts a hypnotic refrain that turns into a delicate fantasia. A little life is injected in this monotonous parade of poppy tunes by the feverish Brazilian rhythm of Hawaii, and by the hard-rock guitar and disco pounding beat of Repeater Beater. The rest is not particularly captivating, whether leaning towards synth-pop (Tricks Of The Trade) or power-pop (Sometimes Life Isn't Easy, with children choir). The melodies are trite. Hence the music relies on the arrangements, which are not exactly revolutionary.