[.ca] Frengers

Best frengers:
Mew is a mishmash band -- a little indie-rock, a little prog, a little pop, a little hard-rock and a little art rock. And in their third album "Frengers," the Danish band mixes all of those together, and lets listeners hear the grand extent of what they can do. This album is rich with atmospheric music and fiery instrumentation -- an absolutely dazzling, powerful slab of rock'n'roll. It opens with the shimmering riffs and kinetic basslines of "Am I Wry? No," a hard-edged song with choirlike backing vocals. It grows into a soaring rock epic, before falling back to Jonas Bjerre's high, sharp voice. "Farrah now that we're here/can you tell me exactly how I should/have done?/Farrah drives with her eyes closed/do you ever inflict unwanted memories?" It gets soft and wintry at the start of the next song, only to blossom out into a fast-paced rocker laced with bells and synth. The songs that follow are the whole sonic palette: muscular rockers, airy piano ballads backed with synth, driving guitar rockers, surreal psychfolk, and lightning-quick rock'n'roll that veers between guitar pop and the hard stuff. Maybe that's what makes Mew so appealing -- you can't put a label on their sound (psych-pop-prog-hard-art-rock?) and you can't sit still whenever it's playing. Whenever their music settles into a signature "sound," they turn around and change it yet again. Every song is layered with instrumentation -- some incredibly strong riffs, loud basslines, a fluid piano melody of two, a little synth, and some sharp percussion are all smoothed into one in songs like "Eight Flew Over, One Was Destroyed." Best of all, their music has an epic, powerful quality -- "Am I Wry? No" has the quality of a feisty thunderstorm. Jonas Bjerre's voice is a bit elusive. At the start it sounds rather high and nasal, but eventually his vocals start melting into the music itself -- the peak is when he duets with Stina Nordenstam. And the songs he sings are quite solidly written ("Because no one is safe/From someone somewhere's/Sweet embrace/And so I have simply decided/To dislike you now"). "Frengers" is a solid third album for this brilliant Danish band, and the first album that got them the notice they richly deserve. Wonderful piece of work.

Blissful noise.:
Mew is the Monet of the music world. Each peice so intricate and fit together perfectly to create a work of art. This CD has brought nothing but pleasure to my sense of hearing.

Totally fantastic!:
I first started listening to Mew last year, when my friend told me to download Snow Brigade. I loved it, and listened to more and more - I was hooked! Their spacey sounds give the listener a sense of being awake and dreaming at the same time. I really reccommend this CD to everyone...let's help Mew break out in North America!!

Mew- From Denmark:
To correct whomever said they were from Japan. They are actually danish. One day I was reading some forumboards on a radiohead website. I found mew there. I heard a few songs, and they became my second favourite band. To radiohead. The music itself is very sharp. Must have treble. It's interpol + better. it's most music+ better

Just Brilliant:
I first heard this album when i was camping. My friend had it and was playing it over and over again. But back then i didnt think that much to them. Then a few months later i heard "she came home for christmas" on the radio and i was hooked. This is easily one of my favourite album ever. It tells a story, not through words, but through music. Mew need to be heard by more people over in the UK and USA. this really is a treat that they are missing out on. Its just brilliant!!!!

• Am I Wry? No
• 156
• Snow Brigade
• Symmetry
• Behind the Drapes
• Her Voice Is Beyond Her Years
• Eight Flew Over, One Was Destroyed
• She Came Home for Christmas
• Shespider
• Comforting Sounds