Music Review: Mellowdrone's Box

This entry was originally posted at Homogenized and later merged into Neckbeard. Images and links may be broken. Sorry.

Over the course of seven years and four EPs, the Los Angeles-based outfit Mellowdrone has established themselves as the go-to group for downbeat, densely layered, new wave-inspired indie rock. Their latest album, Box, provides more of what fans have come to expect, but at the same time reveals a newfound eclectic sensibility. The band has incorporated elements of dance and industrial music into their trademark sound as well as letting the clouds part from time to time with sparser arrangements and lighter textures.

Opening with the dark and brooding "C'mon Try a Little Bit," Box quickly establishes its modus operandi. But the band soon moves into more approachable territory, "Oh My" benefits from a downright danceable beat, making Mellowdrone sound positively Killers-esque--only, you know, good.

Existing fans might recognize several of the tracks here. That's because, regrettably, four of Box's 13 tracks have been previously released in what are essentially identical forms on the A Demonstration of Intellectual Property and Go Get 'Em, Tiger EPs. This isn't to say they're not great tracks, in fact they contain some of the best moments on Box, it's just that they're a little too familiar to fully appreciate in what's supposed to be a fresh release.

But one of these songs, "Beautiful Day", previously released on Demonstration, will even surprise old fans. The first two-thirds of the song are all gently ambient synth notes played over a pulsing bassline, until a gunshot snare hit rings out and a ghostly choir, buzzing, distorted synthesizers and live drums overtake the song. It's a surprising and welcome twist on the track, and the other previously released songs would benefit from revamps like this.

Singer-songwriter and principle member Jonathan Bates has a powerful croon of a voice, but it's best suited as an instrument than as a vehicle for delivering lyrics. Bates is at his best when he's holding onto those syllables, pondering and chewing one for a moment before moving on to the next. In the sparser and, dare I say, upbeat "Fuck It Man" the words become clearer and start to sound banal, and the track suffers as a result. The majority of the songs, though, settle into a sexy, smoky vibe, epitomized by returning favorite "And Repeat" and future favorite "Orange Marmalade." Both strike a balance between Bates' urgent vocals and a more laid back blend of electronic and acoustic instrumentation.

Now so far it might sound like Bates is the only member of the band, and for a long time he was, but recently Mellowdrone has expanded to become a quartet. Guitarist Tony DeMatteo gets his turn at the helm with album closer "Limb to Limb", which he wrote after being in a debilitating car accident that left him bedridden for three months. If you think this experience makes for a somber song, you'd be right. DeMatteo and Bates share vocal duties, harmonizing over some of the album's strongest lyrics. "Cheers to all, I made it/Just a scratch, I'll make it/Please be sweet, don't say a thing/Makes it easier when no one knows."

Box is a positive evolution for Mellowdrone, one that finds them neither entirely rehashing their older work nor totally reinventing themselves. It's unfortunate that nearly a third of this album has seen release previously, but the strong new material more than makes up for it.