As you all know, nothing ruffles our feathers more than a brand spanking new act who defy conventions, alter the blueprints of music genres and do something different. Mvscles are one such band. The girlfriend/boyfriend Boston/L.A. duo of Cat Paternostro and Chad Montermini have already embarrassed a plethora of established alternative acts by receiving numerous plaudits and thousands of online hits in just a few months. Everything is instantly lovable about the magmatic Americans; their dexterous skill at producing music is second to none. In fact it is scary how easy the pair have sculpted a niche sound absolutely unique to them in such a small time frame; you could say the couple are pioneers. Cat and Chad are not ones to be pigeon-holed either, preferring to relish the complex labels critics associate with their music instead. From electro-pop to glo-fi they absorb it all. Mvscles after all, are Mvscles; this is about the pair's sound, not what people may presume or wax over. "Sweet N Sour" is a fantastic amalgam of noise, both juxtapositional and seamless all at once. From the introductory "woo's" that are reminiscent to Sway's "Little Derek" to the cosmologically channelled electro-gunk sound bubbles leading towards each chorus, everything is charming and enthusiastic. We especially love the cute little "sweet" that makes each chorus sparkle with glittery alien effervescence. The couple's nonchalant harmonies fuse together with youthful dynamism, like spreading sweet musical jam across a surface perforated by warbles, bleeps and animalistic chortles; the effect is all very dreamy and relaxing. Whimsical lyrics such as "If I hadn't met sour I'd of never known sweet" smooth the listener's soul, releasing feel-good endorphins aplenty. Their first single has this mesmeric sheen to it, where facets of irreverent music dash around playfully across galactic electro landscapes and lyrics remain open to interpretation for others to enjoy. "Sweet N Sour" is a musical masterpiece, we have had the first tantalising taste and now we want more.
We were saddened to learn that the UK's vivacious answer to Sweden's Icona Pop, our very own Oh My! had parted ways in the summer. All too briefly did the bashful antics of Alex and Jade's dance-pop trepidations and all out fun lose momentum. Sometimes though, people have to split and explore their own individual music paths, so we were ecstatic when we found out Alex was pursuing a solo career. Perhaps it was predetermined fate? Who knows? What we do know however is that the humble Lexie, as she is now referred, has dictated the direction of her music; breezy, refreshing and cleansed of previous pop determinants, a delightful and welcome transition it would appear. By covering Example's "Say Nothing", the gifted starlet has stamped her unique style on this track by gutting it of any excess and applying two essential ingredients, minimal input and simplistic application. The duality of crisp vocal harmonies working in combination with glossy keyboard chimes makes this a clutter free experiment of sound open to interpretation with assertive intonations seeping through to reveal pockets of emotive transparency. Weaving angst, annoyance and upset between trickling instrumentals gives a sense of depth to this track that stretches beyond the usual chart fodder giving Lexie's voice a resounding strength of character and infectious charm. Acoustic, folky and raw, Lexie has identified her sound and turned "Say Nothing" into a truly beautiful song whilst also establishing herself as a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial pop vixen.
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