Mice on Stilts - Album Review: Hope For A Mourning
At first glance the name Mice On
Stilts doesn't really give any indication of what the band might
sound like - I hadn't heard the music before, but had seen the name a
lot.
To be completely honest, it wasn't until perhaps the third
listen to their new album Hope For A Mourning that I started to
connect with it, and started hearing the influences more clearly and
somewhat understanding the intention.
Firstly, there is no denying
the production is nothing short of beautiful. There is a haunting
atmosphere surrounding the album which is centered around Morely's
captivating melodies and melancholy lyrics, most often paired with
subtlety played, emotive piano. While it is for the most part a very
sombre and dark collection of songs, there are some great thick walls
of delay drenched electric guitar - which I always enjoy listening to
loudly through headphones.
A good friend of mine compared this
album to if Jeff Buckley wrote an album like Opeth's Damnation.
I really can't find a fault with that comparison, especially seeing
some of the metal t-shirts the frontman Benjamin Morely wears on
stage!
As far as favourite songs go, I would choose track 5, YHWH.
The brass section adds so much depth to the overdriven guitar tones,
and Rob Sanders' drumming sits perfectly within the arrangements,
never overplaying or complicating things, all very well thought
out.
So you've got a cross reference of Jeff Buckley, Morrissey, Opeth and Radiohead in their more downbeat offerings – Hope For A Mourning is a grower-not-a-shower, a beautifully recorded and heartfelt album that takes a couple of listens... like the best albums usually do.
About Mice on Stilts
A host of enthusiastic fans and critics have likened the band to Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Kayo Dot, Steven Wilson and King Crimson. Their debut EP, An Ocean Held Me, is founded on ideas of darkness, empathy and catharsis. These themes extend into their upcoming album, Hope For A Mourning, which capitalises on the diverse range of instruments mastered by the seven skilled musicians. This release also incorporates the extraordinary voices of a ten-piece choir, offering even more depth to this layered, emotive and resonant work.
Mice On Stilts formed predominantly through chance encounters – on buses, at parties and at open mic events. The core sentiment of the music, however, grew from the challenges that songwriter Benjamin Morley was facing at the time. Together he and bassist Tim Burrows recorded a series of songs that attempted to make sense of a complex emotional landscape, and the product seemed to resonate with their community. After an overwhelmingly positive response, the band grew from strength to strength – both in size and in its ability to articulate the facets of grief and hope that Morley sought to explain.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Mice on Stilts
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