SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MELØ – ARCHITECTS OF REVOLUTION

MELØ
ARCHITECTS OF REVOLUTION
INDEPENDENT

MELØ is an incredibly talented artist, and Architects of Revolution, his second album, is long overdue but it is well worth the wait. As an artist, he has grown a great deal since his debut album Songs from the Spirit Box (2024). It is hard to place MELØ into a specific genre. One thing that is clear, however, is that his albums take the listener on a trip through time. Architects of Revolution has all the earmarks of a great 1970’s pop album. Not that the music sounds like mid 1970s (although a couple of songs do draw upon that sound), it is more the sensibility and structure of the album.

The album opens with a spoken word introduction set to some fine lounge music from the 1960s. It is a brilliant way to bring the listener in, as one cannot be sure where this album is taking them, but then MELØ takes us to Studio 54 for some disco with “New Way of Missing You.” Throughout the album, MELØ jumps into various genres. The closing song, “Swing Out Sister,” is Sparks meets glam and it works.

While a number of the songs have been released as singles over the past year or so, together they form a brilliant and cohesive album. There is no filler, just powerful song after powerful song. The vocal arrangements are extremely interesting and add a great deal to each song. “The Devil’s Feet” is not a duet, but the interplay between the vocalists is so fascinating and very entertaining.

While Architects of Revolution is not a concept album, there are themes that occur throughout the album. He borrows titles from classic songs (“Follow You, Follow Me,” “The Great Pretender”) and even an 1980s band name, Swing Out Sister. But that is where the similarities end. Rather, the songs on Architects of Revolution are about survival, personally and on a larger level. But not just survival, more achieving and winning. In some ways, the songs are close to a dark celebration, and conquering dystopia.

Architects of Revolution is an incredible album. MELØ has created very strong, impactful and powerful songs and in doing so a brilliant album. He crafts songs beautifully and he produces them well. MELØ has a strong voice that comes across throughout the songs, and the playing is top notch as well. Architects of Revolution is a brilliant achievement.

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