The Moons, Mindwave – Album Review
Looking for a crash course in Brit-rock? The Moons’ latest longplayer might just be the answer.
The best way to describe The Moons’ sound initially is, well, Kasabian. Early 2000s Kasabian to be exact. The sonic resemblance is uncanny. Chunky guitar riffs, pounding bass lines, ambient synth riffs, they are all there. Even the vocal sounds strangely alike to Tom Meighan. And I swear in ‘Rage and Romance’ you cannot not hear the ‘L.S.F’ chorus. However, the album steadily evokes. Their songs combine various elements of classic and contemporary Brit-rock. Charming singalong choruses with backing trumpets a la Oasis? Check. Psychedelic distorted sounds and Orwellian voiceovers a la Radiohead? Check. Pounding bass riffs with cowbell percussion a la Kasabian? Check. Dark, gothic sounding harpsichord a la Bowie? Check. Blues-ey bass with multiple voice chorus a la The Beatles? Check. It’s all there. All the goodness of Brit-rock, distilled into one album.
The record then feels almost like an odyssey into the past, harking back to all the various great iterations of British rock and roll. And lots of fuzz and distortion, wailing vocals, foot stomping and fist pumping. Good ol rock n roll. My favourite. The closest you really get to a ‘modern’ song is “Times Not Forever”.
This does mean that the sound feels a little dated, although I’m not sure that’s necessarily a bad thing… Caught in a not too distant past. it feels strangely unsettling in the current atmosphere of dancey, clappy Brit-rock, with the likes of the (new) Arctic Monkeys, Bastille, Rudimental and the likes. It seems at some point, British bands decided to stash away the loud guitars, turn down their distortion pedals, whip out a couple more floor toms, and actually decide that they were going to play intricate guitar riffs. Suddenly, Brit-rock became all too clean.
This album is a refreshing reminder that good ol British rock n roll still lives. Harkening back to the golden era of classic songwriting, the album’s infectious rhythms, textured melodies, slightly chaotic sounds and sonic reminiscing continues to grow on me.
If you’re currently enjoying remarkably mild temps in the UK at the moment and would like to check out The Moons, they’re touring in September. Dates below:
Fri 19 LIVERPOOL Korova
Sat 20 BIRMINGHAM Hare & Hounds
Sun 21 GLASGOW King Tuts
Tue 23 MANCHESTER Night N Day
Wed 24 LONDON Bush Hall
Thu 25 BRIGHTON Green Door Store
Sat 27 NORTHAMPTON Roadmender
Words by Desmond Chan.
