MEW > No More Stories

Videos by American Songwriter

mew no more stories

MEW

No More Stories

(COLUMBIA)

[Rating: 3.5 stars]

Danish indie dream-pop trio Mew, known for their complex arrangements and somber lyrics, experiment with some more straightforward, “cheerful” songs on their fifth album . While 2006’s And the Glass-Handed Kites was a prog guitar-driven, albeit dreamy, concept album, their latest effort brings percussion—like wooden blocks and marxophone chimes—to their lush soundscapes. “Introducing Palace Players” has an uncharacteristic Gang of Four guitar sound, and “Beach” is as short and snappy as these Danes get. But their signature guitars and harmonies abound on the seven-minute “Cartoons and Macramé Wounds,” and “Hawaii” brings you back into their oceanic depths.