|
I have a thing for brothers. Who doesn’t? And I promise that after listening to Masonic’s latest album, Things I Am Guilty Of, you will have a thing for brothers too. The band’s core trio of Mason brothers (John, Kevin, and Brian) have gone through a series of singers on their three previous offerings before finally finding the beautiful and talented Eryn Gettys as lead vocalist, whose ethereal voice hazily balances between French pop and shoegaze. Accented by master arrangements of keys and guitar, and percussion that isn’t too heavy and complimentary bass lines courtesy of Trey D’Amico, the quintet delivers diverse melodies that stand out amongst the mass of Austin indie pop with an universal appeal.
Gettys’ trance/siren like voice could be the contributor for the soundtracks of our dreams. The instrumentation behind her vocals couldn’t be nearly as effective paired with anything else. While Things I Am Guilty Of starts slowly with “Under the Radar,” an effervescent swell that sounds like the The Bends remade Nouvelle Vague-style into a delicate treat, track two, “Regret Is All,” grabs you and pulls you right in. It is oh so poppy, the kind of song that makes you want to dance around and sing along in your underwear when you’re all alone. Things I Am Guilty Of is overflowing with seemingly random strings of sound that are tactfully placed together and invite this very type of behavior.
To balance out the booming proportions of pop, Masonic sneaks in its more sultry side by slipping in songs like “Repeat My Fate” and a downright swanky cover Del Shannon’s of “Runaway.” And although you can hear the influence of the Mason brothers’ native Oklahoma heroes the Flaming Lips floating around in their tunes, it isn’t too overwhelming and they’ve got their own unique sound flowing. The group’s bolstering of the Europop vibe with straightforward but edgy guitar licks and conservative strings gives them a distinct flair, lingering in the same beautiful intoxication of locals like Operator, but with a much more defined sound and Gettys’ comfortable sway.
Though the album sometimes lulls through the similar sound of the songs, Masonic keeps the pace steadily moving with short tracks and by alternating the slower songs with the more upbeat ones. And they’re undeniably good and catchy tunes, both lyrically and instrumentally. Even as songs like “Last Chance” fuzz a bit too heavily and float flat, there is more than enough to enthrall with the remainder of the album. So dance around freely. But, please, not naked.
Mp3s from Things I am Guilty of:
Regret Is All
Way Gone By
Websites:
www.masonictheband.com
Myspace
