The Mysterines will take some stopping once their debut album ‘Reeling‘ is released on 11th March.
The Liverpool quartet’s first LP packs a heavyweight punch. The tracks are saturated in driving dirty heavy guitars, rhythmic tom filled drums and haunting vocal performances from lead singer Lia Metcalfe.
It’s hard to know what box to put them in. It’s a wonderful concoction of different ingredients. The sounds of alternative, grunge, garage and elements of hard rock thrown in for good measure.
It is as if their sound is one that is familiar, yet remains extremely fresh at the same time.
The first of the thirteen tracks is Life’s A Bitch (But I Like It So Much). An opener that they stamp their authority with immediately. If you didn’t know who the band were or what they are all about. You soon will. It is 2:50 minutes filled with attitude.
Hung Up is the Mysterines first single off the album. And what a powerhouse of a song they have got there. The guitar riff reminiscent of something between the Ramones, Rancid and Soundgarden.
Once again, the muted chords during the verses allow Ratcalfe’s vocal range to remind that these aren’t a copycat lot, they are distinctive, particularly when the two vocal leads overlap in the songs outro. Stunning.
The sixth track of the record, On The Run takes a slightly different approach to the guitar sounds in tracks one to four. It slows the pace of the LP down, but maintains the energy. There are Kurt Vile jangles in the guitar style.
Under Your Skin continues the slower yet still infectious groove in the middle of the album. The song is a testament to what a voice Retcalfe possesses, opening the song with a soulful solo.
Tracks eight and nine are the final single releases from Reeling. Number eight is The Bad Thing and number nine is In My Head a return to to the heavy licks, the heavy bass and the drums formed around the work on the toms. These two songs contain riffs that wouldn’t be out of place on a Zeppelin or Wolfmother album. This is hard rock at its best, doing exactly what it says on the tin with flare and zest.
Still Call You Home is the more acoustic orientated number that is just quite simply Retcalfe’s best vocal. Joplin-esque and pure power.
Provided these four continue along these lines, can don’t have any internal issues, The Mysterines will be this generations greatest Liverpool export. They are currently touring North America and will return to tour the UK with a homecoming gig on 2nd April in Liverpool.
The Mysterines have the world on a string, a heavy bass string amped up and distorted. A singer that is a colossus. They’re going places these lot are. Full steam ahead.
Full track listing:
- Life’s A Bitch (But I Like It So Much)
- Hung Up
- Reeling
- Old Friends Die Hard
- Dangerous
- On The Run
- Under Your Skin
- The Bad Thing
- In My Head
- Means to Bleed
- All These Things
- Still Call You Home
- The Confession Song
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