Customer Reviews

& The Glass Handed Kites

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

By way of the internet, I was introduced to Mew initially through text. I had never actually heard their music, but by way of some few positive reviews, a little desperation, and a leap of faith, I purchased "And the Glass Handed Kites." Since it found its way into my CD player, I have concluded that it is my favorite album of 2006. Several albums have competed for this title over the course of the past few months, not the least of which was Muse's "Black Holes and Revelations." While competition was fierce between these two, I can confidently say that Mew has been the winner.

This is not meant to degrade (the more visible) Muse's efforts. In fact, my comparison between the two bands is meant to encourage fans to research this important Danish band for themselves. Mew exudes an aesthetic that coolly reflects both passion and intelligence. Lyrically, "And the Glass Handed Kites" walks the line that divides the surreal and the personal. Sonically, they strongly reference the late 80s, as well as 2K and many points in between, but their approach is so experimental and somehow accessible that they ultimately transcend any of the genres that are associated with either of these eras. Is it possible to reconcile the seemingly divergent styles of New Order and The Mars Volta? Miraculously, Mew seems to find a way to.

Because of their ability to ride the fence between the accessible and the experimental, Mew has been increasingly accepted by the prog community. However, the bulk of their influences lie outside of the accepted prog mainstream - perhaps a touch of Yes, but very little Genesis, ELP, etc. Instead Mew openly cites among their influences the pre-alternative bands of the late 80's such as My Bloody Valentine. "Special" is particularly reminiscent of this era. This approach gives them a widely acceptable soundscape for their experimentation, and an admittedly exciting format for those of us who love the spirit of that music but are exhausted with over 40 years of recycled prog clichés. The opening track "Circuitry of the Wolf" is deceptively lo-fi, and fooled me into thinking that I had the newest incarnation of the late 90s sound that was represented by Hum. It quickly opens up, however, and as it seamlessly segues into "Chinaberry Tree", we find a significant sonic and conceptual depth. This is driven home by Jonas' Bjerre's vocals. His control of intonation in the falsetto range is nothing short of extraordinary.

The album is conceptual in nature, and as a result it is very difficult to recommend a singular track as a representation. As an introduction, I would suggest finding a way to listen to a seamlessly segued medley that includes everything from "Fox Cub" to "Zookeeper's Boy" (including "Apacalypso" and "Special"). There are other really great tunes on the album, but this sequence is one of my favorites and it exemplifies what "And the Glass Handed Kites" has to offer. Some songs function as vignettes and others as pivotal set pieces. When a piece is conceived of as an album-length whole ( as in the style of Kevin Gilbert's "The Shaming of the True", the Flower Kings' "Garden of Dreams", the Who's "Tommy", or several selections from Pink Floyd's classic 70s work), I think that this is a necessary concession to allow for accessibility. Understanding "And the Glass Handed Kites" as a whole might require more of the casual contemporary listener than is fair, so breaking the album up into isolated tracks is probably essential to digesting its complexity.

Increasingly, I find myself researching modern music by looking for live video footage online. Many times, if I find some footage that really helps me to conceptualize a given band's approach, it helps me to understand their vision (this was influential in my acceptance of both Muse and Pure Reason Revolution). Pretty much 100% of the footage I have found of Mew has impressed me. I would suggest doing some searches, as there is quite a bit of Mew footage available. Watching lead vocalist Jonas Bjerre's eyes roll back into his head as the rest of the band alternates between aggressive grooves and emotional atmospheres is absolutely priceless.

The Lowdown: The atmosphere that Mew creates is almost sonically overwhelming at times. As I have stated in my previous King Crimson reviews, sometimes it feels like I just cannot experience the songs at a high enough volume, and I feel like I am reaching out for the connection that can only happen in a live performance. In a recent interview, Yes' Rick Wakeman lauded Mew's ability as a band that could "really play," specifically citing the vocal prowess of Bjerre. After several months, I concur: Wakeman's observations are valid and his advice is solid. Mew is a powerfully unique band that deserves wide attention. Plus, its distinctively Nordic feel makes rocking out in the winter seem like fun. Get it yesterday.

If you're reading this, you're likely already a fan of this band, who's all but unknown in the US outside a small group who've been waiting for this record for a couple of years. So far the reaction's been remarkably positive for a record that is in many ways a departure from their sound. It's certainly the kind of album you'll need a number of listens to before you can really "hear".

Mew's an odd band. After releasing two stunning albums in Europe, they chose to put out an album--2003's Frengers--of remakes of some of those songs, along with some originals. Where the first two records were filled with sweeping, often gentle anthems, Frengers was an attempt to showcase their harder side. And it worked: these guys are startlingly good musicians, and the singer's got an amazing voice.

In fact, there was an undercurrent on Frengers of egghead musicianship that you could tell they wanted to indulge. And now two years later, they have. "..And the Glass Handed Kites" is in places a difficult album. And I mean that in the way you might call a math problem "difficult", or a piece of dense academic writing "difficult." Even the first single, "Special" is tuneful, but with rhythyms that never seem to settle down, sometimes stuttering three beats where your brain expects four, or adding beats to a phrase to extended it just a little long; it can be disorienting, although usually in a good way. And the tunes themselves, like "A Dark Design" are almost like arias, long *long* melodies that are just hard to get your head around. Then on the other hand there are some relatively straightforward songs like "Apocalypso", which you'll love if you liked Frengers' "Am I Wry? No." And "The Zookeeper's Boy" has a chorus you'll be singing for days.

Are you one of those who think that Placebo's last stuff is quite disappointing and so you think that the last hope for artistic alternative rock is gone now? Well, I though the same way a few months ago, till I discover this great band listening some songs of Frengers and this last album, which, I must say, is one of the most ambitious, sincere and beautiful projects I ever heard. Every song of this record is so damned good that you know that either they have a really great ear for composing or one of them has studied musical theory a lot. The structures are unique, the progressions are brilliant, the melodies are unforgettable and the lyrics are all pure poetry.

The album as unity has such consistency and "fluency" that is impossible to conceive it in another way but as a journey through mysterious images that seem taken from twisted fairy tales, strange childhood dreams and gloomy lullabies. It kinda reminds me Smashing Pumpkins? "Mellon Collie" and The Cure's "Disintegration" in this aspect.

Another aspect of this masterpiece is that it seems to present a lot of contrasts. The album itself is a huge contrast if we compare it to its predecessor "Frengers" in which the songs offered lighter tones and sweeter sounds. Here, we have more like cloudy and muddier tones (A Dark Design, Fox Cub) heavier sounds, potent guitar riffs (Apocalypso, The Zookeeper's Boy) and stronger and more pronounced rhythms (Circuitry of the Wolf, Why are you looking grave?, Special) but never missing that soft and celestial "touch" that is a constant in all the stuff these guys compose (Chinaberry Tree, Saviours of Jazz Ballet, White Lips Kissed). In "Frengers" we heard the voices of Becky Jarrete (a 14 years old girl) and Stina Nordenstam accompanying Jonas Bjerre's voice in songs like "Symmetry" and "Her Voice is beyond her years". In contrast, in this album we have a very unexpected kind of voice accompanying Jonas in "Why are you looking grave" and "An Envoy to the open fields". Of course, I'm talking about J Mascis, whose voice is not exactly the soft and sweet kind of voice that we expect to listen in a Mew song.

As other people have already said, this is not an album which you're going to love from the very first time you listen to it and this is not an album you'll appreciate if you like "cool" and "trivial" mainstream rock. This is a real artistic musical project of one of the few bands left that actually know what they are doing, both in musical and in an aesthetical way. So, you may have to listen it more than once to become familiar with its songs, but once you had gotten into it, you'll remember my words when I say that you'll be listening one of the 10 Alternative rock masterpieces of all times.

Mew are a powerful band, blending hard rock, prog and indierock with a sweeping hand, and turning out expansive music that sounds like nothing else.

And the Danish band not disappoint in "And the Glass Handed Kites," which takes the style of their third album "Frengers" and expands on it. The result? A brilliant, shimmering piece of rock'n'roll that sounds like nothing -- and everything -- else.

It opens with a soft whine, some hesitant drums and tuning guitar, as if the band is just starting a live set. Then they gradually swing into a solid, ringing guitar riff interspersed with blasting bass and soft shimmers of keyboard. No lyrics. Except for a few angel-rock cries, they don't need 'em.

That changes with the swirling "Chinaberry Tree," with Jonas Bjerre singing about a passionate love that is disrupted: "As my first love said to me:/"I don't care. I'm not there"/So that I could not sleep/My whole being was falling apart/So that I soon cried out: "Dear friends, hold me!"

From there on, Mew tear through other sorts of music: thunderous hard rock, shivering proggy pop, riff-heavy indierock, epic anthems of stormy sound, and silvery sweeps of eerie balladry. What's more, the songs all flow into each other with hardly any pauses, until it sounds like one enormous song.

Breakout albums are usually a bit more commercial than this one -- although the songs can be catchy, there aren't any real singles, and you'd be hard-pressed to find something so intricate and intelligent on MTV.

And their music is what makes them so brilliant -- ringing, driving riffs, sharp percussion and thunderlike bass spill over the circling melodies. They're softened by soaring organ and keyboard (and a bit of sparkly piano in one song), which add an almost transcendent quality to songs like the epic "Louise Louisa." Rockwise, this is like having a religious experience.

At first listen, Bjerre's light voice sounds rather ordinary. But as the album wears on, he sounds hopeful and slightly forlorn, as he sings songs of exquisite strangeness. "Are you, my lady, are you?... In a submersible I can hardly breathe/As it takes me inside, so the light sings/Answer me truthfully/Do the clouds kiss you/With meringue-coloured hair?"

From spun-glass ballads to epic hard-rock, Mew twines together all sorts of styles into their own art-rock masterpiece. Absolutely stunning.

Think of Jon Anderson's collaboration with Vangelis, strip the synths and enter electric quitar and shoegazing alt rock, and you have this magnificent album. Just listen to the closing moments, if this is not a tribute to Jon Andersron then I dont know what to call it. It almost defies categorization, this is novel, entertaining, I have listened to it many times and still holds as fresh as the first time, a signature of great albus, every time a new angle emerges. Very very good, the best album of 2006 so far and trust me, I listen to a lot of new material this year.

I discovered Mew in February of this year. I've been so impressed by them, that I put them into my Top 10 bands.

Technically, Mew could be grouped under indie, progressive rock, or baroque pop (ala The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds"), but I think the best term to describe them is one I made up: "fairy-tale rock". If there was ever a band that epitomized the term 'surreality', it would be Mew.

Their sound is composed of loud, heavy, distorted bass, stuttering drums playing very odd rhythms, guitars that can range from grunge to psychedelia, and layers of synths, pianos, celestes, xylophones, strings and occasionally some electronica.

Lead singer Jonas Bjerre sings in a high-pitched voice, but it never sounds emo, just whimsical. It fits in perfectly with the fairy-tale feel of their music.

Bands I'd compare them to are Sigur Ros and Bjork's "Vespertine" (the wintry atmosphere), Smashing Pumpkins (the lyrics and diversity), Beach Boys/Four Seasons (melodies and harmonies), and The Trans-Siberian Orchestra (classical music aspects), but you'd never say they're an imitation of any of these bands. They transcend and surpass most of their influences. They've also been compared to Muse and The Mars Volta, being in a group of bands that "constantly push the boundaries of rock music". I'd definitely agree with those last 2.

They've struck a perfect balance. Their music is very elegant and oftentimes incredibly beautiful, but they can rock out with the best of them, too (such as on "Circuitry of the Wolf"). Their music is technical and complex, but it never sounds showoff-ish, unlike most metal bands that try to use those two aspects. It actually adds to the overall feel. They're accessible, but there's tons of layers of depth underneath the catchiness ("The Zookeeper's Boy").

Mew is still a very obscure group in the U.S., but the sheer sound of the band indicates that they could easily be huge. Let's hope their momentum popularity-wise picks up. It'd be an utter shame for these geniuses to go unrecognized.

I have been into music for a very long time and this is one of the best albums ive ever heard.Im a huge fan of concept albums and this is up there with the best of them.The album has such an incredible feel to it with changes in moods from upbeat to almost sad songs that you would almost feel guilty skipping any tracks once you start from the beginning.This is the best 60 min song you will ever hear!

Since I was introduced to the music of Mew a year ago, I have since acquired three of their CDs and have grown to like them quite well. Although their music is difficult to categorize, I can assure you that their sound is strangely uplifting and stealthily addictive. What sort of sound has this Danish combo wrought? Well, some may call it art-rock, others may call it alt-prog, and still others may just call it alternative rock. Whatever you call it, it is definitely both fresh and refreshing. The best way to put it if you are new to Mew is that if you like Arcade Fire, you will almost surely like these guys.
Nearly an hour of delightful music makes that hour pass quickly indeed. I deduct one star because there are no real highlights, I can't even pick any favorite songs! I like the whole CD, and if you like inventive melodies, solid instrumentation, and soaring vocals then you should like And The Glass Handed Kites as well!

Mew, a relatively unknown band in the United States, although gaining in leaps and bounds in popularity in other parts of the world, has a gem here. From the abrasive guitar riffs of "The Zookeeper's Boy" to the gentle piano of "Louise Louisa", this album harkens back to the glory days of progressive rock with sweeping sounds and production quality to invite a new generation to experience music that isn't in 4/4 time signature.

If you're giving consideration to buying this record, which I'm assuming you are if you're reading this review, give it a chance, its very different than what you're used to. At first the lead singer, Jonas Bjerre's voice can be a little hard to take and the lyrics can be a little weak at points. It's the music underlying the album that really causes it to soar, its truly astounding. There are themes that run through the album, whether guitar riff or synth lick, that really pull the whole cd together as a complete work, which hasn't been done with any credibility since the days of Rush. All the while the accute focus on individual song intricacy produce some solid singles that are gems as well, something not many prog rockers can do.

Highlights: "Why Are You Looking Grave?", "Special", "The Zookeeper's Boy", & "Louise Louisa".

This album is fabulous for fans of epic sounds. I'm a huge fan of M83, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Mogwai, Kinski, Sigur Ros amonst other indie, post-rock, and shoe gazer bands. Mew's latest album wraps a lot of heavy guitars in with beautiful percussion compositions and some really beautiful vocals. Awesome album for lovers of M83 and/or My Bloody Valentine.