Music Review: Mêlée - Devils & Angels

Mêlée's sophomore album is the first of theirs I've heard, and they've got a very unique sound in comparison to your average punk band. I don't think one could really call them punk- They have liberal sprinklings of punk, pop, alternative rock, and a decidedly 80's flavor.

The best way I can think to describe them to someone who hasn't heard them yet is to imagine putting the All-American Rejects in a blender with Queen, and perhaps a dash of Coldplay. They have the pop-punk sensibilities of the Rejects, and the theatrical presentation and melodic structuring of Queen. Lead singer Chris Cron instantly reminded me of Freddie Mercury, and his piano underlines almost every track present on the album, with Ricky Sans' lead guitar alternately crunching, strumming and piercing along. This duo is almost mesmerizing, and it's easy to forget that Ryan Malloy and Mike Nader are back there, providing the rhythm on bass and drums respectively.

There wasn't a single track on the album that I didn't like, from the the mid-tempo ballad Built To Last to the soulful and punchy Hall and Oates cover that closes the album, You Make My Dreams. Every song seems to exude infectious joy and optimism in a striking counterpoint to much of modern alt rock or punk. No two tracks are quite alike, thanks to diverse styles and vibes, but the album still somehow flows, feels like a continuous work.

The opener, Built To Last, is a warm, simple depiction of love and commitment that feels more sincere than most love songs without feeling clichéd, starting out with a mildly distorted piano riff before expanding into a wall of sound that would make Phil Spector proud, and which doesn't thin out for the rest of the record. This track is almost nostalgic, and it has a way of drawing the listener in.

The second song, Rhythm Of Rain, is a yearning, gentle rocker, if there is such a thing, starting off with some strummed chords and a pair of bass notes that launch a lead guitar intro to Chris Cron's beautiful voice (reminiscent of a more rock and roll version of Josh Groban) longing for a past he can't go back to. The underlying acoustic strumming and three-part vocal harmonies from Ricky Sans and Ryan Malloy really add a lot here.

Track 3 is a rollicking piano-rocker channeling Jerry Lee Lewis called Frequently Baby (She's A Teenage Maniac). Although Cron's piano is the backbone of this number, and his vocals the centerpiece, Sans gets plenty of time to shine: His raunchy electric rhythm breathes life into the song, and his solo, though far from a technical wonder, feels like a part of the song rather than just being tacked on as an ego stroke, as so many other guitarists' solos tend to. There's no doubt in my mind that this piece would be an instant radio hit if Mêlée had the sort of exposure they should. It's full to the brim with attitude.

For A Lifetime's upbeat feel masks a set of surprisingly world-weary lyrics that still manage to maintain the positivism of the album. The instruments blend nicely and highlight Cron's voice well, but the track, while good, is one of the low points of the album. This, however, is an exceptional album, and this one song is probably better than Green Day's entire discography. Mêlée at their worst are still one of the best bands there is right now.

Drive Away is a bit of a change of pace. Slightly louder than the previous track, but much more melodic and lyrically clever. The first verse goes "I bet you want to know who's coming/Coming to the party tonight/My friends are drinking satisfaction/I've been mixing tonic and spite." The bright but brooding tone of the song is perfectly played, and this may be one of the best songs on an album full of great songs. Chris Cron's voice on this song was fantastic.

The next song is a optimistic, theatrical number about acceptance called Can't Hold On. It starts out feeling gentle, but builds up to an epic bridge and one final, exhilarating chorus. Cron's voice is again in great form, and the instrumental side holds up very well as well.

After all the varying styles Mêlée has dabbled with on the first six tracks, Imitation's eclectic 80's synthpop sound shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. It's an excellent song, but it's very different, and the verses' melody seems disparate from the chorus that it would have seemed almost schizophrenic in anyone's hands but Cron and Sans'. The piano rhythm that drives the song sounds electronic, and is accompanied by a lead guitar riff with a not-quite-snarling effect. The overall effect is only describable in one way: Take the above cocktail of All-American Rejects, Queen, and Coldplay, and mix in some Depeche Mode.

Love Carries On is an excellently crafted song, but not a particularly memorable one. Nothing stands out here. For such an exceptional band, it's surprisingly forgettable, if only in comparison to the rest of the album.

She's Gonna Find Me Here is a ballad that feels like it could have been written by the late Freddie Mercury and performed by Queen. In fact, Sans' solo utilizes an effect that sounds a LOT like Brian May. Cron's lyrics extol the girl he knows will eventually come into his life, and are sincere, if they do sometimes share Mercury's sense of the theatrical, which will appeal to some and annoy others. I thought it was brilliant, and a tribute to Queen, whether intentional or not.

After the sweetness of the last song, it's an interesting change of pace to come to the cheerfully regretful Biggest Mistake, which feels just as 80's as Imitation, only more like something Rick Springfield might have written with Bon Jovi. This track is playful, smart, clever, and catchy. It doesn't have a lot of depth, but that actually makes it better, because it's not the sort of song that should have much below the surface.

The 80's vibe continues with You Got. This song could have been a collaboration between Billy Joel and Survivor or Foreigner, or both. It opens with a pulsing piano that is soon punctuated by a crunching, compelling guitar riff. The song feels intense, and makes good use of percussion. This is probably the only track that I really noticed Mike Nader's presence beyond just realizing that there were beats.

Stand Up is essentially a self-motivational pep speech. That doesn't sound very interesting, but it really is a very strong song. It's really at it's best in the bridge, when Cron and Sans both get to show off a bit.

The final track on the album is a cover of the Hall and Oates classic You Make My Dreams. Ryan Malloy's bass is actually quite effective here, and Cron's voice is well suited to the song. It may seem an unusual song for a pop punk/alt rock band to cover, but it translates very well, surprisingly. It may be one of the best songs on the album.

I still haven't gotten my hands on Mêlée's first album, Everyday Behavior, but after listening to Devils & Angels, I can say that this is a band with a bright future, and one that definitely has a style all their own.

RATING: ♠♠♠♠♠ (5 Aces - Buy This Album NOW)

American Idol 7 almost here

To establish something right away: I am not particularly under the illusion that American Idol is fair, or even always about talent. I know and accept that the show is probably biased and produced to the very hilt.

But I still enjoy it. It's entertaining. The high level of production adds to it, in my opinion. Yes, they pass on some great talent, and yes, they put through such train wrecks as Sanjaya Malakar. Love him or hate him, he understood perfectly well that he was there as a sort of court jester.

So I'm not delusional enough to think that AI is balanced, but I'm not bothered by that. I still manage to love the show somehow. Maybe I'm just not enough of a TV snob, which, by the way, is possibly the worst medium you can be an elitist about.

With that preface, you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to the premiere tomorrow night. Even if it's just the auditions, I am completely ready for the show to be back on the air. I've missed being able to over-analyze weekly performances and obsess unhealthily over contestants. I seem to learn the first names of all the contestants, and yet I remember the last names of about five from all of last season.

I'm also excited for some of the changes that are being put into effect this season. Most important is probably that they're lightening up on mentors. I think the mentors are good to a point, and helped widen the style spectrum a bit, but they were definitely overused last season. Diana Ross or Tony Bennett are one thing, but the Gwen Stefani? What the hell was that? We need to focus more on our contestants and less on celebrities.

Next on my list is the allowance for instruments this season. Sure, Taylor Hicks got around that with his harmonica, but I'm talking about real instruments. At first it was just during the audition rounds, and now the Hollywood cuts, and Nigel Lythgoe still isn't sure if they're going to continue this on into the actual competition. I, for one, hope they do.

Once we get to the competition rounds, for every episode, I will be posting my thoughts, criticisms, and ramblings. And for every episode, I will post who I think needs to be going home and who most deserves to stay. And then, after every results show, I will post my reactions to what actually happened.

In other old news you've already heard, but haven't yet had the privilege of hearing from ME, Simon Cowell, the acerbic British judge infamous for actually telling the contestants the truth, something highly controversial here in the States, has stated that he only plans to judge two or three more seasons of Idol before turning his seat over to someone else. He said that by then, America would be too sick of him to bear watching him judge any more. Personally, he's my favorite judge. This is in direct contradiction to what he said earlier last year, that he would "rather drop dead than retire." But, for the purpose of sheer speculation, let's think about who might become his replacement on the show:

SIMON REPLACEMENT CANDIDATES

1. NIGEL LYTHGOE

Another Brit (in)famous for being tough on contestants on other shows he's judged, Lythgoe is a very likely possibility, because he's the producer of American Idol, and he is a quite popular judge on Idol's little sister, So You Think You Can Dance. He shares Simon's perfectionism and honesty, as well as a bit of his crankiness, although not to the same extent.

I would not be surprised at all to see Nigel Lythgoe take Simon's place when the acidic Englishman steps down.

2. PIERS MORGAN

This one's a bit less likely, as Morgan is neither as popular nor as accessible as Lythgoe. In fact, unlike either Simon or Nigel, Piers seems to be a genuinely unpleasant human being. He's listed here because he's mean, English, and associated with Simon already on the Cowell-produced Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent.

It is possible that Piers Morgan could replace Simon. But if America thinks Simon is unpleasant, they'd be in for a shock.

3. DONALD TRUMP

Oddly enough, The Donald is SIMON'S choice. I can't really seem to find any justification for that idea, other than the fact that Simon likes him and he's done the whole judging kind of thing on The Apprentice. He doesn't know music. I don't really think he'd be a good replacement. In fact, the only replacement I can think of that would be worse is Rosie O'Donnell.

Also, I think that puffy hair might distract me.

And last but not least...

4. 'WEIRD AL' YANKOVIC

Go ahead and laugh for a minute, but then think about it. He's funny and has personality and great stage presence, AND he has a real background in music. He understands it. I honestly think he'd be one of the best replacements you could find for Simon. I'm being serious. Weird Al is a musician and a comedian. He'd be able to judge effectively and keep the show entertaining.

Well, I believe I've bloated this post more than enough. I probably should have put the Simon replacements in their own post, but this will do. Hope to see you again, lurkers, loiterers, and denizens of the internet.