The announcement that Pure Reason Revolution were calling it a day popped up in my Facebook feed earlier; the Reading alternative prog rockers have cited 'changing circumstances' but whatever the real reason it's a damn shame. I first stumbled across the band several years ago, supporting Mew at The Wedgewood Rooms if memory serves, and with their intoxicating blend of harmonies and melodic (and, yes, progressive) rock they soon became a band that my gigging buddies and I obsessively followed.
We bought the CDs, coveted the badges, used the bookmarks given away at the merchandising desk and waited with bated breath for news of a new release. Time passed only for debut album The Dark Third to be re-released in a slightly different form. Of course, we bought that too. Our fanboy ardour waned as the months went by; after a disappointing gig at The Joiners, beset with technical issues, one of our number decided that was enough. Our fickle fandom could only take so much.
However, being the kind of sad music obsessive that I am, I couldn't give them up completely. I scoured the internet for updates, there were rumours of the new album, but I wouldn't believe it until I had a copy in my grubby mitts. So it was, some months later, that I again found myself at The Joiners. The rumours were true; a pile of shiny new CDs, all in shiny cardboard sleeves, teased me from the merchandise desk.
Second album, Amor Vincit Omnia, dispensed with the lush strings from the debut, replacing them with dollops of synthesizer. The harmonies and repeated themes remained but, despite a couple of excellent signature tunes (Deus Ex Machina and Victorious Cupid), it wasn't as wholly satisfying a listen as their debut. Where the album succeeded though was in showing a band confident enough to experiment with their sound.
Not letting the dust settle PRR continued their push into electronic territories, perfecting their efforts on third long player Hammer and Anvil. Co-written and produced by Tom Bellamy (ex-Cooper Temple Clause) the album is a heavy, pounding, synth happy delight; throat-grabbing opener Fight Fire is a song that seems designed to accompany things blowing up.
Shortly after Hammer and Anvil's release I saw the band for what now looks to be the last time, at last year's SouthseaFest; having drawn the opening slot on the Wedge stage the band found themselves playing to a mostly empty room. No matter, they cranked the dials up to 11 and played a charged set sampling their new long player. This was a band ready to seize the day, or so I thought at the time; I really do have a kiss of death about these things. But before they bid the crowds adieu, pack up their instruments and go their separate ways, the band will be playing a final six shows. The 'farewell tour' takes in Nottingham, Bristol, Norwich, Holmfirth, Glasgow and London (but sadly no 'one last time' at The Joiners, which is a shame) with debut The Dark Third being played in its entirety each night. A good way to say goodbye, if there is such a thing.
Danish band Mew were recently approached by an advertising company, working for a Norwegian Pay-TV channel, for the use of one of their songs in an upcoming campaign.
"Can we use Comforting Sounds in the new Canal Digital ad?" they asked.
"OK, but you'll have to pay us some money" said Mew.
"Err, we'll get back to you" replied the advertising company, who then proceeded to get someone to knock up a just-different-enough-so-they-won't-sue soundalike tune for their shiny new ad...
If you ask me that's not really different enough at all, it's practically the same. The band thought so to, as did their record company and their lawyers (if your Norwegian is good then you can read more information on the Verdens Gang website).
Following some intense legal banter later a deal was struck so that the ad could be shown this one time, with Mew compensated for the possible copyright exposure. Should the ad campaign be re-run at a later date however the tune in question will be changed to something that really doesn't sound anything at all like Comforting Sounds. Which, by the way, sounds like this...
The Mew Live in Copenhagen DVD arrived on my doorstep this morning. This is Mew's first live DVD, recorded at a packed KB Hallen in Copenhagen last March. Needless to say the disc was out of the jiffy bag and into the player before the cellophane could hit the floor.
The 16 track DVD favours the recent And The Glass Handed Kites album but that's to be expected. There are a couple of gems from earlier albums included in the set, both 156 and Comforting Sounds are accompanied by their mind-bending rear-projected films (you'll believe a cat can play the violin, I'm still not sure what those white things are though). In addition Jonas performs a delicate solo medley of Panda, Mica and Saliva at the piano. Also included on the decidedly minimalist DVD (no fancy menus with music) is a bonus 60 minute "documentary" of the making of ATGHK (or rather a collection of clips of the chaps in various rehearsal rooms and studios).
The only criticism I can muster, given that I'm fairly stoked to get my grubby little mitts on it, is that the footage has been tinkered around with too much in post-production; it's decidedly murky in places (either that or my TV screen is due a clean).
The Region 0 DVD was released in Denmark last December and it's not on general sale elsewhere as yet. It can be purchased from the Mew website via a link to Vibrashop but, thanks to a tip-off on the Mew forum, I pointed my browser to the Irish CDWOW site. There the DVD is available for a bargain €5.99 (someone must have screwed up, it should be €22.00 at least!).
Anyway, enough banter, here's the opening track of the DVD, Special:
