Mew first caused shockwaves with debut album Frengers in their native Denmark and most of Europe. The band has a refreshing, quirky outlook on music and they continue to gain momentum stateside with their new album And the Glass Handed Kites.
As the single “Zookeeper’s Boy” proves, there’s nothing at all glamorous about this music as it evokes images of forest-sprites and hobgoblins. Although the lyrics mention ostriches and giraffes, the interpretations here are not meant to be literal. What makes ‘Zookeeper’s Boy’ stand apart from these other acts is its quick-fix harmony that will send you into a dreamlike state instantaneously.
Critics have referred to their music as post-rock and Euro-pop which are both misplaced observations, as the two styles are worlds apart from the staggering melodies that the band lace around Jonas Bjerre’s falsetto.
Mew possesses a transcendental grace that cannot be forged or practiced and such elegance is as pure as stardust. The feeling here is dazed, but never confused: think night gazing at fireworks spelling the bands name in bright lights in the sky.
Marcus Walsh can be contacted at m.walsh6@umiami.edu.