Mezzanine Owls

Slingshot Echoes

(self-released)

Record Review by Marcel Feldmar

Slight jangle pop meets a twisted Brit shoegaze mood here from L.A.’s Mezzanine Owls. The band name fits right in with the music, picturing sleek birds of prey moving moodily through the moonlight. The ability to explode and be full-on menacing hides barely under the surface, which is touched by a blanket of dusk and poetry.

The songs drive and sway, moving fast and steady, but still full of strength and beauty. The guitars move through star fingered chords against vocals that move slightly Sebadoh-style through the waves of noise and melody. A little touch of another owl band, The Low Flying Owls, floats through some of the dark and fuzzy sounds, pushing somewhere between a mellower Jesus & Mary Chain and a busier sort of U2 vibe. Some nice drum rhythms hit on a few of the songs, creating steady dynamic moods against the push and roll of the guitars, and helping that U2 sound come out a little more, especially in the marching drum beat and slow vocal flow of "Graceless."

When the vocals aren’t stretching towards some blood red sky, they move down into some nice area between (I’m thinking) Pete Yorn and Joseph Arthur. The subtle piano that hits at times proves a nice counterpoint to the fullness of the guitars, and these Owls can fly just as nicely in the wide open spaces, as evidenced in the wide movements of “A Draft”. Some slight hints of an R.E.M. alt.country influence fold between the notes and bars at times, especially hitting my ears as the CD ends… the song falling from previous arena-sized moods towards a mellow jangle pop tune that sounds a bit Wilco / Beatles under the farewell wave of distortion.