Mmoths – MMOTHS

Like Mmoths to a Glowstick

Jack Colleran – aka Mmoths – talks like your younger brother, looks like your hot cousin, and makes music even your mother would dig. His story is one of those stories. Last year, at age 17, Jack wrapped up his high school career in his hometown of Newbridge, County in Kildare, Ireland. He also signed a deal with SQE Music, moved to LA, and essentially kicked some major electronica arse. After a year of self-releasing remixes and one-offs to web, his self-titled EP has arrived with five tracks worth of elegant – and yes, precocious – chillwave.

“Summer” is the strongest track, featuring a guest appearance by LA spacey-pop group Superhumanoids. It also is the most song-like song – most of Mmoths’ work could be more accurately defined as sound painting or expansive grooving. The lack of danceable thrills is not surprising. Even his reworks of Passion Pit & Bon Iver from 2011 had an ambient lean, so it’s only natural that his organic creations should follow that line.

On the other hand, there is something solid here – something that defines the typically uninteresting glo-fi genre in an important way. The grooves and sounds are quite lovely; easy to picture as the sonic backdrop for epic modern dance choreography, experimental short films, or heck, just a blissed-out evening on the couch. There’s also that extra little something – a weaving of sounds so blended, so finessed – it’s impossible to deny that this artist is heading somewhere worth following.

It is excellent to see someone from this genre finally break out of the bedroom, and the Mmoths EP is worthy of its’ extra distribution.