Europe is a place of art and beauty. Everything there is edgy, fashionable and exceptionally inaccessible. The films are all rooted in symbolism and fantasy, American sitcoms are frowned upon for their mindless mulch and the 12 year olds are all wine connoisseurs. Of course this all excludes the UK which has always been considered the drunken and vulgar black sheep of the European family – 12 year olds here are happy being Buckfast groupies.
So when it comes to music Europe really know how to produce a conundrum of a band. You see Mew aren’t your regular rock band, nor would they ever want to be. They aren’t even rock. Indie perhaps, alternative definitely, progressive rock at a push, they even sound a bit electro-pop at times but who knows really? You see the trick to Mew’s latest album, No More Stories…, is not to try and analyse it or second guess it. Just listen to it.
You see if you’re looking for simple, accessible and nicely chorused music then No More Stories… is not the album for you. This album is a schizophrenic jumble of genres, emotions and tempos. It’s impossible to follow and you’ll never be able to sing along to it at a show. Yet given the chance this album is quite wonderful.
This is artsy without being pretentious, upbeat but not cheesy, beautiful yet not sappy – No More Stories… is everything you’ve been looking for in an album without ever realising it.
Mew are pure European art. If you don’t get it don’t worry, you’re probably just one of those ignorant art philistines. But that’s OK, I hear the Enemy are writing a new album. For everyone else just lie back, press play and let the culture embrace you.
NB: The full title for this release is 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, but it’s far too long to use as the title for this piece.
Steoph 