No More Stories Ep [Single, Import]

Mew (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 18, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Single, Import
• Label: 101 DISTRIBUTION
• ASIN: B002BE8VQI
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,210 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Introducing Palace Players

2. Repeater Beater

3. Owl (B-Side)

4. Start (B-Side)

5. Swimmers Chant (B-Side)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Different and interesting, July 24, 2009

By 

delibessleep (Flora-bama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No More Stories EP (MP3 Download)

I always get nervous when a band I like releases a new album. Part of me braces for disappointment.

At first listen to "Introducing Palace Players", I was convinced Mew recorded it at a salad bar in Amsterdam...then I finally "got it" and my appreciation grew. Do the same...it is kinda like a golf swing: uncomfortable at first.

The second song, Repeaterbeater, is the most accessible for the casual listener, except for the occasional timing hiccup. I like these...it makes choreography difficult.

"Owl" is bizarre. Rhythmically it reminds me of Steve Martin at the beginning of "the Jerk". They should have named the song "The Jerk"...

"Start" is a lovely little tune. For those that enjoy the quiet of "White Lips Kissed", "Louisa Louisa" or the beginning bit of "Comforting Sounds." Just a nice little tune.

"Swimmer's Chant" is another nice tune, and would have worked well on the "Frengers" album. I especially like the lyric "In Tragedy Park" for some reason.

Good Primer for the upcoming LP. I am happy they didn't disappoint.

4.0 out of 5 stars Much more!, July 16, 2009

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: No More Stories Ep (Audio CD)

I've been waiting four long years to hear something new and fresh from Mew, but apparently good things (in fact, brilliant things) come to those who wait.

And in the weeks before they unleash their fifth full-length album, Mew has alleviated a little of the pain of waiting with the "No More Stories EP." This all-too-brief collection of songs -- two from the album and three B-sides -- shows that the band hasn't lost their knack for swirling, atmosphere-soaked rock'n'roll with an epic bent. And the album songs show that their next album will be a stunner.

"Introducing Palace Players" starts off surprisingly low-key -- a Spoonesque guitar riff meandering through a repetitive melody, riddled with video-game synth. For a moment there, I thought they had lost their golden touch.

Then the melody quiets, and the entire song suddenly blossoms into a transcendent new sound -- the core of gritty rock'n'roll is still there, but it's awash in gentle shimmering synth and slightly wistful vocals ("Something peculiar/Fits the two of us/I am not yourself/I didn't want it to"). Then there's the fast-driven "Repeaterbeater" with its perpetually fragmenting riffs and blazing bass; it sounds like a frenetic car chase through a psychedelic tunnel.

And then, there's the B-sides that round off this EP. They aren't quite the shards of pure brilliance that the first two songs were, but they are pretty solid pieces of work, each with their own unique sound -- there's a trippy little ambient song called "Owl," the droning piano ballad that melts into a mellow pop song in "Start," and the soaring clashing "Swimmer's Chant."

Listening to this EP reminds me why I adore Mew as much as I do -- they sculpt epic rock'n'roll that goes hard'n'fast, but also infuses itself with colourful, light-filled beauty. The biggest flaw with this EP is simply that a couple of the B-sides are somewhat lacking in life and complexity -- for instance, "Owl" is pretty but forgettable, and "Swimmer's Chant" has some awkward, hiccupy moments.

The instrumentation here is simply stunning -- we've got some blazing bass alongside powerful winding riffs and gentler acoustic melodies, studded with drums and wrapped in a luminous veil of colourful synth. And they weave in some different sounds as well: watery ambient-synth, a rattle of bells, and soft streams of piano that infuse the last couple of songs -- and surprisingly, the softer stuff is almost as good.

Jonas Bjerre has a nice voice for this kind of music -- he sounds distant and a bit androgynous. But he manages to make himself heard even in the louder songs. Some of the lyrics are on the weak side ("You think this way/Jumping off the see-saw/Company just wanting to be") but most of them are slightly off-kilter ("Don't break the bottle/There is water inside your heart") and beautifully sad ("I try to do right, but it's wrong/Nothing feels right with you gone")

Mew whet the appetite with "No More Stories EP," demonstrating their more uptempo sound and throwing in a trio of B-sides for good measure. Definitely worth hearing, especially the first two songs.

4.0 out of 5 stars Still Mew after all, July 1, 2009

By 

O. Ramirez (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No More Stories EP (MP3 Download)

When I first heard that Mew were in plans to record a new album later last year/earlier this year, I have to admit that I was skeptical. The differences between Frengers and And The Glass... were apparent; a more "epic"/melodic approach to the music, and an even more poetic style of writing on the latter album. Just thinking of how Mew would craft the latest one made my mind go crazy with ideas and yet scare it at the same time.

When they announced the name of the album as well as the cover, I thought that Mew hadn't changed at all. Their exotic play of words and images was still present. A couple of days later, Pitchfork released their first single, "Introducing Palace Players". I loved it.

I guess that's enough backstory, and let's get to the main thing: this EP. The first two songs, part of the main No More Stories... album, follow the same formula of the previous albums (mindnumbing, "out-of-place" drums; scratching-yet-melodic guitars; hard, rhythmic bass; and their trademark high-pitched voices) while introducing some interesting electronic elements. The music is a bit more upbeat and easy to digest (i.e. "mainstream"), while still retaining the complex and dark lyrics.

The first two tracks, the main ones, are great. My complaints are about the last three tracks, the b-sides. They're rather bland. Being more calm than the first two and more electronic sounds-driven, they have a more mellow sound.

All in all, this EP made me get even more excited.