The glory of writing reviews is that every now and then you get handed a record that you ordinarily wouldn’t even think twice about and it turns out to be pleasantly surprising. This is certainly the case with ‘New Best Friends’, the first full length release from Louisville based Mansions. In a snapshot it’s an emo album but don’t let that put you off; there’s no make-up in sight.
From the haunting opener ‘I Told a Lie’ to closer ‘All Eyes on You’ a very deliberate pace guides you through an album that is packed with intricate nuances and heartfelt emotion. The easiest comparison to make would be to slower Jimmy Eat World tracks, with some of the lyrics suggesting at Weezer‘s earlier offerings. ‘Insulated’ even has the feel of Placebo to it, whilst throughout there’s enough technical jiggery-pokery to put you in mind of Team Sleep or Trent Reznor (it’s not that heavy though!). And it’s all the work of one man, Christopher Browder. He’s one of those annoyingly talented multi-instruments playing people that makes the rest of us not even want to try. I’m sure he’s a nice gentleman though.
The one criticism that I have with the album as a whole is that it may be a couple of tracks too long. Or, more to the point, without a really up tempo, sugary beast of a pop tune (something that stands out on JEW releases) it takes a little more work to get through the whole album. It’s not so much mired in depression but it isn’t the chirpiest record you’re likely to hear this year.
‘New Best Friends’ doesn’t just end with the CD, there’s also set to be a bonus 38 track MP3 disc containing the content of 7 previously released, multi-format EPs. That’s a lot of music for your credit-crunching pound, but I’d recommend more than just one sitting. Ultimately, this is an impressive and intriguing listen from a genre that all too often is stale to the core.
Alex