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Album Spotlight: Hey Marseilles - Hey Marseilles

I first came across Seattle, Washington's Hey Marseilles in 2013 with the release of their second album Lines We Trace. Their mixture of orchestral folk, pop and rock earned that album a spot in my Best Albums of 2013 list at #17. Now the band returns almost three years later with their third full length, the self titled Hey Marseilles.

The first thing that jumps out at you about the new album is its sound. The lush strings are still there when needed, their melodic sensibilities are still intact, but there's a pretty obvious intention to apply a more overt pop sheen to this record. And damn if it doesn't work. Don't get me wrong, this is not a complete overhaul of the band's sound. Regardless of the Chamber Pop label they were tagged with early on, this has always been a melodic pop/rock band at its core. On Hey Marseilles, there are just a lot more electronic flourishes and beats than the band has utilized before. This slightly new direction came with the help of Grammy Award winning producer and engineer Anthony Kilhoffer who worked closely with the five piece from start to finish on the new album.

It pays off right from the opening as "Eyes On You" is one of the best tracks Hey Marseilles have released. Starting with somber sounding strings, which you might expect, they quickly add a drum beat before Matt Bishop's impassioned vocal kicks in. The song is both upbeat in tempo and melancholic in feeling and mood at the same time and it's fantastic. "West Coast" eschews most of the electronics to fit with more of the band's traditional sound and it is another essential track. Ballads were some of my favorites tracks on Lines We Trace and that continues on the new self titled release. "North And South" and "You And I" especially stand out, both beautifully melodic and bolstered by the string arrangements.   

Hey Marseilles is a pop album at heart. The band has not lost sight of their signature sound, but their vision of what they wanted this music to be has resulted in their most accessible album to date. Hopefully it gains them the wider audience they deserve.  

Favorite tracks: "Eyes On You", "North And South", "West Coast", "You And I"

Hey Marseilles was released February 5th, 2016 on the Shanachie label.

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Album Spotlight: Mystery Jets - Curve Of The Earth

Based out of London, Mystery Jets formed in 2003 and featured both lead vocalist Blaine Harrison and his father Henry. To this day Henry remains an official member of the band, although his role is now more in the studio these days than as a part of the touring lineup. Curve Of The Earth is the band's fifth album and as has been their custom, it's a change in musical direction from their last release. 2012's Radlands saw them experiment with Americana sounds, but they are in full on pop/rock mode with the new one.

Curve Of The Earth opens with the dreamy rock of "Telomere". It's one of many standout tracks on the album, and also one of many with a 70's vibe flowing through it. The piano based "1985" is the only ballad here but it's a beaut. "Bubblegum" has an insanely catchy synth line and stands as part of a trio of the album's strongest material. "Blood Red Balloon" continues the 70's feel with its psychedelic rock sound and "Taken By The Tide" is an unabashed melodic rocker with an anthemic chorus and my favorite track on the album.

This will certainly appeal to fans of melody driven British rock and serves as a great introduction if you are, like me, new to Mystery Jets. Curve Of The Earth stands as one of my favorite early releases of 2016. 

Favorite tracks: "Taken By The Tide", "Bubblegum", "Blood Red Balloon", "Telomere"

Curve Of The Earth was released January 15th, 2016 on the Caroline International label.

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