Drab Majesty
Modern Mirror
DAIS Records
How can you improve upon something that is damn near perfection? If you are Drab Majesty, you simply release a new album, that’s how. As if 2017’s epic The Demonstration isn’t the definition of a contemporary classic, Deb Demure and Mona D. have now gifted us with eight further tracks that surpass their previous effort. No, I’m not kidding. They have struck a vein of pure gold with Modern Mirror.
From the meditative opening track, “A Dialogue”, to the last track, which is also the latest single, “Out of Sequence”, we are put on a merry-go-round at warp speed. Every song is its own unique planet to investigate and probe. The first single “Ellipsis” doesn’t just reel you in with the catchy hooks, it’s in the delivery. The chorus is sung three times in three different ways which makes you pay more attention to how gloriously it all flows.
“Noise of the Void” is perhaps the bleakest track in terms of its lyrical content, but musically it still rings out in beauty. “Oxytocin” is sung by Mona D. which shines a further light on his talent as more than just Deb’s sidekick. It speaks of the longing to have that feeling of first being in love again though, “nothing lasts forever, anyway”.
Albums like this do not come along very often. Usually there is a song here or there that you could skip when they come up on your player. Upon repeated listens, maybe the opening track would get a skip every now and then, but it was rare. The album is so solid in its writing, musicianship, production, and presentation, that hardly a fault can be found. The infectious beat of every track will keep you tapping along. The layers of sound will keep you listening intently for things you missed before. The earworm choruses will keep you singing along.
Artist Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DRAB MAJESTY – MODERN MIRROR
Michael Mitchell