Mass Datura – Sentimental Meltdown
This is music to escape to – with Sentimental Meltdown, Mass Datura don’t want you to dwell on life’s grievances, but celebrate overcoming them instead
Despite the title’s connotations of dour existentialism, Sentimental Meltdown is an exhilarating ride. Its themes would suggest otherwise, however: childhood rejection, guilt and the imprisonment of the disenchantment of oneself would typically be depicted with misty-eyed dejection, but Mass Datura aren’t archetypal in their approach to making music; existing entirely in a weird and wayward world of their own.
The shameless glam of this LP is a welcome anomaly among the earnest guitar bands too afraid to venture outside of genre stereotypes. Frontman Thomas Rowe’s vocals are elaborate, but add character to a sound that allows for vocal dramatics in the same way, say, the romantic Englishness of Brian Ferry’s voice contributed to the sophisticated art-rock appeal of Roxy Music. In essence, music that’s as colourful and chaotic as Sentimental Meltdown needs a distinguished voice.
The brevity of Sentimental Meltdown also works in the band’s favour: the 27-minute run-time negates the common mistake of including needless fillers for the sake of it. As a result, not one track disappoints. Despite its glam leanings, it’s not without its nuances: the bouncy, psych-tinged Temporary Halo’s propensity for indie pop brilliantly counteracts the soporific slow-burn of Fantasy Friction. Even during the more contemplative moments, though, it’s not without a faint hint of well-executed sleaze.
While Sentimental Meltdown's musical effusiveness can come across as excessive and even self-indulgent to some, its sheer ambition is commendable. This is music to escape to – Mass Datura don’t want you to dwell on life’s grievances, but celebrate overcoming them instead.
Listen to: Temporary Halo, Fantasy Friction