release date: May 4, 2000
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Mew, Morten Sidenius and Flemming Rasmussen
label: Evil Office - nationality: Denmark
Tracklist: 0. "Ending" - 1. "Am I Wry? No" (4 / 5) - 2. "Mica" - 3. "Saliva" - 4. "King Christian" - 5. "Her Voice Is Beyond Her Years" - 6. "156" - 7. "Symmetry" - 8. "Comforting Sounds"
2nd studio album by Mew issued on the band's own label and originally released in only about 5000 copies. Swedish singer Stina Nordenstam features on track #5, Georgian Becky Jarrett on #7, and the producer of the debut album, Damon Tutunjian sings rap on "King Christian".
The music is generally very interesting, however, being familiar with Frengers (2003) as the first Mew album, the first two albums mostly just generate great 'demos' to that. Frengers is then nothing more than an upgraded compilation, encompassing this album and the debut, A Triumph for Man (1997). What is striking about this, the band's second effort, is really the fine raw material, and alas, also the somewhat narrow production sound, although, the album comes out as slightly bettering the debut. Tracks like "Mica", "Saliva", and "King Christian" could easily have been included on Frengers, and in the hands of producer Rich Costey, only imagination can perceive how great these songs would have shone alongside the other tracks from the first two albums.
[ Gaffa.dk 4 / 6 stars ]
