Mew – And the Glass Handed Kites

Space Pop Invaders From Denmark

A clap of drum thunder initiates a storm of vignettes, not so much songs, in the free flowing movement of And the Glass Handed Kites . Danish progressive indie rockers Mew strike the delicate balance between being experimental yet palatable. Art rock of this nature can often come across as pretentious and bizarre for the sake of being so. In this case, free flowing doesn’t mean free form.Mew are an odd marriage between 70s prog-rock originators Yes and My Bloody Valentine, fronted by Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb, whom vocalist Jonas Bjerre likens with his falsetto. Backing-up Bjerre are a chorus of specters voicing an incantation rather than a mere harmony. At once dreamy and urgent, it is difficult to isolate tracks for the listener can’t always tell where one begins and ends. The album is to be swallowed whole in one sitting. The record is a singular dramatic pop hymn. Second track “Chinaberry Tree” unleashes a wave of intricate melodies and sharp percussion throughout the hymn. “Special” conjures the 70s again this time by materially rivaling Blondie’s “Atomic.” The infectious chorus of “The Zookeeper’s Boy” embodies the climax of the album.

Seemingly esoteric lyrically, it is hard to know what Mew is going on about and you have to wonder if something is lost in the translation-“So did you change the locks?/And did you hide the fox cub?/Don’t make fun/Because we don’t.” Intriguing song titles such as “The Seething Rain Weeps For You,” “Apocalypso” and “Saviours of Jazz Ballet” would make any audience inquisitive. There is a master plan in there carefully orchestrated by Mew and it is worth trying to uncover the latest installment.