Album Review: No More Stories...
No More Stories...by Mew
8.9 of 10
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Back in 2005, I had an insatiable craving for new progressive rock bands. I was exploring all corners of the internet just to find any prog-rock that hatched during the last decade. That's how I found Mew, a prog-rock band from Denmark, and their highly praised album And the Glass-Handed Kites. It was a sublime album. Seamless and contemporary, it was the future sound of prog-rock. But I was in the mood for something classic and epic at that time. So Mew's masterpiece was overshadowed by Coheed and Cambria's Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One.
As time passed, the existence of Mew was erased from my mind. But early last August, I stumbled upon a music video that showcased flying metallic boxes with laser lights. The video was pretty odd, I think. The music, however, was astounding. It had a nice dance rock tune, with subtle shoegazing elements, and vocals that sounded so ethereal. Later I found out that it was actually a music video for the song "Introducing Palace Players", the carrier single for Mew's latest album, No More Stories...
I got hooked with the single and bought No More Stories... as soon as it was released. The whole album is just awesome. I enjoyed every single track in it. However, the new album lacks the seamless experience and the "thump" factor that And the Glass-Handed Kites delivered. It is also much more poppier and upbeat, which will definitely earn Mew some new fans. Nonetheless, there's still an abundance of bells and whistles -such as King Crimson-eqsue guitar riffs, dreamy vocals, odd beats and otherworldly soundscapes- that will keep former fans and prog-rockers happy.
Mew has pretty much nailed a good balance between art and accessibility by incorporating some pop elements into their neo prog-rock sound without eschewing the complexities of the genre. Progressive rock isn't an easy genre to listen to. With its tangled song structures, either you get it or you don't. So if you didn't like progressive rock before, I urge you to try and give No More Stories... a shot. It's definitely worth it and it's one of the best albums you'll listen to this year.
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