Planets Conspire

First of all I'd never heard of "The Meligrove Band" until maybe a week ago. I found them on myspace and after listening to "Everyone's a Winner" I was hooked. After buying the album you can tell that this band is different from any band out there at the moment. My favorite part about them is the incorporation of piano and trumpets in their songs. The singers voice is amazing as it crackles and gives a "raw" feeling in some songs and a soft and warm sound in others. This is one of the few CD's I can actually say I can listen to without skipping a single track.

Although I wouldnt recommend paying this much for this album, its definetly worth your listening time. I can guarentee you can get it for much cheaper from iTunes or Marketplace.

If you just want to listen to a few standout tracks, I would recommend "Grasshopers In Honey" and "Everyone's A Winner".

Compared to the previous paralells drawn between the Meligrove Band's 2002 release Let It Grow and retro-smooth pop sensibilities of the Beach Boys, their 2006 "Planets Conspire," is a downright retooling of the Meligrove sound. Planets Conspire brings Led Zeppelin to mind mixed in with the high wire high range nervous voice of 'Of Montreal' and for some reason a little sonic arrangement of Polyphonic Spree. Yep, that's it, you've got the Meligrove Band's "Planets Conspire," a soundly rousing listen.

So many strong tracks throughout this CD, make it difficult to pick out one or two to talk about. Begin at the beginning with track 1, Isle of Yew. To this song there is more of a Beatlesque treatment with strings and soaring vocals and a simple piano line. The singer urges a lover to hang in, don't get down, his love will pull her through. The song definitely sets a tone for things to come.

My two favorites are track 6, "Ages and Stages," and 7, "Our Love Will Make the World Go Round." "You said that there would be changes and we should lend a hand. Universal ages and stages supply for what we demand. I need, I need to know is it for real, or some kind of joke? I need to know is there a glimpse, a fragment of hope? Were we crazy or is this a beginning?" The song starts out with a jumpy guitar statacco break and gets more interesting from there. The drums in each of the song seem to kick in with a preciseness that drives the song along like a Ford Mustang through the Canadian mountain roads. "Our Love Will Make the World Go Round," kicks in with a little more high energy and the vocals reach an even higher nervouse register much like the music of Death From Above 1979 of which the Meligrove'rs branched off from. There is a moment of call and answer between singer Jason Nunes and the rest of the Meligroves where they trade back and forth, "Your love will make the world go round / Our love will make the world go round," and the drum kicks in repetitive pounding and then the single note guitar driving the song home to an orgiastic shouting ending. Nicely done Meligroves.

And the album finishes nicely with the piano synth ballad, "You're Alive," and here they get all Polyphonic Spree on us to great and good effect. "Your not alone, your not alone." Though listening to the Meligrove Band out of Toronto you just may be as these boys will probably remain largely unknown in the lower 48. Walk, don't run to get this album and whatever you do...stay mellow. --mmw

› Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars