Artist: Mesh
Title: Automation Baby
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 15th March 2013
Label: Dependent Records
Album Review
The anticipation for the new MESH release grew over the past weeks on all ends with snippets of “Making Of” videos floating around the net as well as the very promising harbinger 'Born To Lie', so you might understand the excitement of mine once I was handed the review source material eventually. Not aiming to stretch your patience already to the limit at the beginning, we're diving straight into the new record with the opening 'Just Leave Us Alone' which is drifting in on a series of airy chords that are ought to wrap Mark's vocals in a spacey environment. Over its course the song keeps building to gain momentum, a bit of harshness and throwing more atmospheric bits at you. I know I'm using the term a lot lately. This time there's hardly any better, though. 'Taken For Granted' is classic MESH; if you've followed their career for many years as I did, you'll recognize elements of the early albums mingled with modern ingredients. Almost redundant to note this one's going to be one hell of a crowd pleaser
'You Want What's Owed To You' is a similar matter. With a toe-tapping beat under the hood and touching on the subject matter of clever façades concealing the inner voids and using money to full the cracks, it's both musically and lyrically a treat. Ladies and Gentlemen: The title track. A picture of catchiness that you will find yourself unable to resist. That goes especially for the chorus. You're like a fish in the water. You see the hook, you now it will never let you go again and yet you bite. Following this is the first of two instrumentals called 'AB Incidental'. A kind of industrial beat hooks you on the beginning of 'This Is The Time' that exhibits quite a harsh, even a bitter mood initially. Reaching the chorus it is opening up adding actual melody that is the perfect means of transporting the core message “This is the time / to make a stand...” Actual ballads were hard to find as of now on the album 'The Way I Feel' gives you a strong first now. Gliding on an acoustic loop, minor strings and a soft rhythm a poignant story unfolds that explores the depths of a bitter soul getting a second chance.
Since we all know how 'Born To Lie' kicks ass now, I'm going to skip that one and head straight for 'Flawless' that sends a lightning away for starters that leads into precise beat machine that underlines a track which in the middle is getting a somewhat indie-ish attitude. Be careful what you wish for, it might come true could be another title for 'Never Meet Your Heroes'. To idolize someone never was and never will be a good idea, because the only thing you can get out of this is disappointment. 'When The City Breathes' takes you straight into the night life. When every thing's pulsing around you, flickering lights and fragments of sounds everywhere you go. A clean MESH club tracks this one is, coupled with a mystical mood taking hold as the chorus hits. The duo keeps the best thing to the last moments of the record with 'You Couldn't See This Coming', which is a fact. You couldn't see a song like that coming. One of the most beautiful ballads MESH has ever produced in my book and with the chorus Mark outshines most of his peers in electronic pop music by far.
'Automation Baby' shows MESH at a peak in their career. It is the perfect blend of what defined them back in the days and what is today. It all results in a modern and clearly not one-dimensional electro pop sound that other bands would kill for.
Tracklist
01. Just Leave Us Alone - 5:29
02. Taken For Granted - 6:08
03. You Want What's Owed To You - 4:38
04. Automation Baby - 4:56
05. AB Incidental No.1 - 2:41
06. This Is The Time - 5:07
07. The Way I Feel - 4:20
08. Adjust Your Set - 4:55
09. Born To Lie - 4:46
10. AB Incidental No.2 - 0:59
11. Flawless - 4:29
12. Never Meet Your Heroes - 5:19
13. When The City Breathes - 4:07
14. You Couldn't See This Coming - 6:02
Line-up
Mark Hockings - vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming, lyrics
Richard Silverthorn - keyboards, programming
plus current live members Sean Suleman (drums) and Richard Broadhead (keyboards)
Website
http://www.mesh.co.uk/ / http://www.facebook.com/mesh.official
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: limited edition box set with additional CD
Total: 9 / 10
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