Can you think back to a time when pop music meant anything other than manufactured concepts by figure pushers? I know a few exceptions can be made but most would have a clear image of alot of horrible names and song titles racing through their minds. Its time for a change in this crazy relationship of music and the peoples choice. When you here that MEW began releasing their material on their own label Evil Office "making a stand that the Danish industry had failed" you really want to hear what they have to say musically.
The night was an occasion for two bands. One going on ten years old these days and the other just beginning to blossom, even if it is autumn that Göteborg throws at us at the moment. I have to be honest, MEW was just a band name floating around in the back of my mind until I had taken my postion for the night. As a stumble brought one of them to the stage and the rest sleepishly taking their positions they brought a cheer from the crowd in the 1000 seat venue 3/4 full, who were obvisously here early for the show. This is always a good sign.
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They played, and played their sound as good as they should - this is uniquely MEW. The set beginning in a slow pace with a huge white sheet draped behind the band where the visuals for the entire set would be screened. The whole show, not one freckle of extra lighting was used. How affective this was. The eye struggled to find the band members as they were silouhetted in front of the dreamy short films (that are created by the singer Jonas), and the glimmer of red and orange from the indicator lights on the amps. The visuals, an extra piece of artistic arsenal is vividly creating a third dimensional experience to the MEW live show. As the guys push on through there set with minimal pauses they have found that steady medium. Not letting us fall asleep to lush sounds of strings and synth fillings and not making our bleed through soaring, fluctuating vocals. Tonight MEW covered the catalogue of songs well. Am I Wry?No, She Came Home For Christmas were included and a finale coming with Comforting Sounds, the song that brought the house down with rhythms and riffs...music to move to BUT - sl oo o owly. They were aplauded and cheered, still no lighting but a set full of harmonies that could have brought tears of joy out a music dispiser, if there could be such a person.
Only one album into their career MEW are starting to build a foundation that could see them pathing the way for other aspiring and like minded bands who seem to get left behind in the deluge of plastic pop and over produced nu metal records of today. They played, and played with the emotion that went into creating each song...this brought the individuality to foreground for the evening. If you were to look at me after the show, I would have read like an open book, "MEW played here!".
/Kaine
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