The Miserable Rich are a Brighton based ‘chamber pop’ band – think Guillemots without the drums or maybe even think Fink without the funk. However you choose to think of them they create an extremely exciting idea of a band in my eyes. The group consists of instruments you wouldn’t usually associate with a ‘pop band’ as such; violins and cellos create the melodies with double bass and acoustic guitar driving them along. As pretty as this may sound they say themselves that “they seem to have become mishap magnets” with a habit of getting into various traffic accidents and missing many a plane while out on tour (and there you were thinking they sound like such a sensible bunch). This can be heard from the very start of the album: They create an amazing vision of idyllic landscapes with their music, and then in come the vocals – negative and angry at times, the lyrics come as a complete contrast to the warmth of the music. Songs of substance abuse, lusting after “yummy mummies” and all the consequences that might follow fill the album. I have to say, this contrast really makes the album stand out for me. The songs are beautiful and memorable, the lyrics angst-y and accessible, there are no low points in the album at all. The Miserable Rich might not be a band set for the mainstream, but they are definitely worth paying attention to. 8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment