Review Summary: This will make you smile.
Last month I was experiencing a dreadful lack of motivation and excitement when it came to my music. Nothing I listened to could hold my interest, and everything I had previously enjoyed became stale and lifeless in my ears. With no means of releasing stress and anger through music, this phenomenon – which I have come to coin as a “musical block” – manifested itself in other aspects of life until I was in a permanent state of pessimism and annoyance. I remained in this dark mood for weeks on end, spending most of my time brooding in my silent bedroom; it was during one of these isolated times that I stumbled upon Mimas, a little foursome from Denmark, whose pure happiness and joy reinstated my love for music.
The Worries is incredibly rich and diverse for a debut and encompasses a myriad of different influences and genres. It is rooted in post-rock and incorporates the sprawling, non-linear soundscapes and aesthetic movements that are staple structural elements within the style, but what really defines the record is the distinct indie quirk that is woven into every track. Clean, unorthodox guitar melodies are interweaved with inventive drumming and bouncy basslines to create what is an undeniably unique sound, further augmented by Snævar Njáll Albertsson’s endearing vocals. Hailing from Iceland, his voice is strikingly reminiscent of Sigur Ros in both timber and approach and is consistently a highlight throughout the nine tracks, ranging from sincere croons to rough shouts and peculiar idiosyncratic improvisation that is as impressive as it is intriguing. Every member also donates their voice to the cause for some gorgeous harmonies and strong gang vocals.
Mimas is remarkably mature for a reasonably young band. Their compositions are thick and lush, yet never become too extravagant for their own good; some of the best moments are actually quite minimalistic. “Dads” begins with a jingly guitar riff, upbeat drumming and Albertsson’s wonderful singing soaring above the mix before it all deteriorates into a lazy ambient haze. A solomn trumpet solo meanders its way through a maze of glescendo bass and buzzing synth before the drumming re-enters. An infectious chant backs Albertsson’s simplistic lyrical style and ecstatic, uplifting delivery to make one of the premier moments on the album:
The wife, the kids and the pavement,
The cat and dog, no you’re not getting a horse.
The smell, the sweat and the deoderent.
The doctor’s recommendation,
The friends smell even worse then my armpits,
The worries! My armpits, armpits!
The majority of tracks enjoy the same positive mood, although that isn’t to say the band can’t mix things up a little. “Why In The World Not” begins in a minor key and proceeds to build into an epic climax complete with apocalyptic horns and a death growl low in the mix. “Dr. Phil’s Retirement” isn’t nearly as light as the title would suggest with disturbing lyrics discussing the murder of a child, and the beautiful “Keep Quiet” strips everything down and proceeds in a relaxing tempo, sounding almost like a lullaby. "Fangs" is a one minute long track of dreamy ambience that is the only thing that could be considered filler. There isn’t enough variation to prevent the record from becoming slightly uniform and repeditive, although it luckily never reaches the point where it becomes frustrating.
There is a certain charm to
The Worries that I can’t describe. You can tell with every track that Mimas had the time of their lives recording it, and that feel enhances the listening experience tenfold. This band is destined for huge things in the future, but in the meantime this will make you smile. I don't hesitate in saying this was the most solid and criminally overlooked releases of 2008, so make up for lost time kiddies!
