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No More Stories Are Told Today, Sorry... Proves Mew Is On Top of Their Game.

Mew creates thoughtful, emotionally resonant music to get stoned to.

Mew

No More Stories Are Told today, Sorry...

Released on Aug 25, 2009

Let’s just put this out there – I loved Mew’s And The Glass Handed Kites. Not just loved but worshipped it for a steady six months before I reached a point where I fully digested every sonic nook and cranny that the album had to offer. And while a follow-up was eventually going to surface I remained doubtful the band had any juice left in them. Actually, I was hopeful that they had some juice, but I wasn’t quite sure what you could do to follow an album like that. Turns out it's actually easier than I thought – you just write another album with equally strong material and move on. No More Stories Are Told Today, Sorry... is a more than worthy follow-up to ATGHK and this album takes the lessons learned in atmosphere and mood from its predecessor and plays them in spades here. 

While mood and atmosphere are the hallmarks of any Mew song, it’s interesting to see how they are employed with this album. Album opener “New Terrain” showcases the renewed focus perfectly with its distorted vocals and melodies. The track actually layers two songs on top of each other with one version played in reverse (check it out here). Individually, the songs are beautiful in their own respect and when overlaid they become otherworldly. “Beach” and “Hawaii” showcase a generally happier and lighter mood than seen on previous albums while still maintaining the core elements – the sharp, clean guitar, off-kilter drums, and Jonas Bjerre’s androgynous falsetto – that have come to sonically identify the band.  

The latter half of the album is by far the most interesting and moodiest section of the album with songs like “Vaccine,” “Tricks,” and “Sometimes Life isn’t Easy.” Specifically, “Tricks” showcases how Mew can turn simple chords on the piano or guitar into a claustrophobic and desperately beautiful song that only fails due to its brevity and simple structure. “Sometimes Life isn’t Easy” explodes with a flurry of sounds before settling into the basics – bass, piano, and drums. Between these instruments and Bjerre’s vocal track, the soaring chorus is heartbreaking and exuberant at the same time. 

If anything, the album’s biggest flaw is its brevity due to the odd pacing of short tracks, instrumentals, and the longer ‘epic’ tracks. For instance, “Repeat Beater” seems too straightforward and brief at 2 minutes and half considering the over-dramatic intros and outros. Just before the listener has a chance to settle in, the song ends. The decisions regarding sequencing the tracks could probably have benefited from some more discretion and attention. 

At the end of the day though, the album showcases that Mew are still a force to be reckoned with. No More Stories Are Told Today, Sorry... through and through is a creative powerhouse that is as emotionally powerful as anything they have written previously. The album clearly shows the band settling into their sound, comfortably, and rather than resting on their laurels they push the boundaries this sound. As long as their commitment to song writing remains strong the band’s output should remain fruitful for years to come.

Posted by Danny Lopez on Aug 25, 2009 @ 6:30 am

mew, no more stories, review, jonas, bjerre