Mew - No More Stories...

Alas, it seems unlikely that as a consequence of No More Stories, Mew are going to escape the all-too frequent comparisons with ethereal Icelanders Sigur Rós. After the release of this album, it will probably be safe to throw Flaming Lips and Spiritualized into the mix by means of discerning what to expect. What Mew’s heritage does allow, though, is an injection of ‘muscle’ to complement the spaced, serene and elaborate soundscapes that have characterised their work over the last 15 years. But, where songs like RepeaterBeater and Cartoons and Macrame Woods are good examples of aggressive crescendo building, the overall goal appears to be one of accessibility via pop hooks (see the synth-laden Beach). When it works, as it does spectacularly on Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy, it's supremely satisfying. However, a lack of variation in tempo and in Jonas Bjerre’s otherworldy-vocal-as-instrument somewhat detracts from some otherwise sublime sonic creations.