Great Pile Of Nothing

Universal Music傘下、TopNotchなどからリリースを重ねているオランダの4ピース・ガレージ・ロック/パワー・ポップ・バンドMozes And The Firstbornが米Burger Recordsからニュー・アルバムをリリースですっ!
前作アルバムから3年、今年は4曲入りEP「Power Ranger EP」など(配信、アナログのみ)をリリースし、待望のフルアルバムの完成を噂されていましたが、遂に登場!!
今回のプロデュースはドラムのRaven Aartsen、2015年末からおよそ3ヶ月で書き上げたという代物。シンガーのMelleが、今回はガレージ色は薄目に90'sのオルタナロックのヴァイヴ!というように、いつもより数割増しイメージのエモーショナルなボーカルでポップに仕上げられた印象!時に哀愁、時に突き抜けるように壮大!といったギターメロも素晴らしい!
いつものBurgerらしいヒッピー感よりも、ヨーロッパのバンドらしい洗練されたオシャレさが漂うサウンド!

Dutch indie quartet Mozes and the Firstborn up their game on Great Pile of Nothing, the follow-up to their eponymous 2014 Burger Records debut. On that record, the group's scuzzy lo-fi garage rock was a perfect fit for Burger's quick and dirty aesthetic, but in the ensuing two years, the Firstborn have ripened into a hooky power pop combo with more emphasis on production value and melodies galore, making them one of the label's better-sounding bands. Produced by drummer Raven Aartsen, Great Pile of Nothing feels more distinctly rooted in early-'90s alt-rock with shades of Guided by Voices, Teenage Fanclub, and even a bit of Redd Kross thrown in. Singer Melle Dielesen's voice is perfectly suited to this kind of material, with a ragged Kurt Cobain edge that cuts through the mixes and a natural pop sensibility that carries the tunes. Right from the top, the disc is loaded with standouts, from the strident "Land of a 1000 Dreams" and the fantastic title cut to "Crybaby," whose soaring chorus is an instant earworm if there ever were one. A more laid-back slacker vibe hangs over the album's second half, with slower tempos and more introspective fare like the harmonically pleasing "Till the Feeling's Gone" and the downcast, cello-assisted anthem "It's Over," another highlight. While their first album was enjoyable enough, there was little there to indicate that the Firstborn were capable of producing such a remarkable power pop gem, but with Great Pile of Nothing, that's just what they've done. ~ Timothy Monger|