Museum Of Bellas Artes - Days Ahead EP
- Written by Russell Warfield
There’s always a danger of writing yourself into a corner when you release an obscure cover as your debut single – especially when it’s as good as last year’s thoroughly dance-friendly ‘Who Do You Love?’ For listeners unfamiliar with the source material of an unoriginal debut, a first encounter with a collection of original tracks can be alienating; especially if they were expecting material cut from the same cloth – an expectation the band is unlikely to be able to fulfil. And, indeed, this is the risk that Museum of Bellas Artes runs with debut EP Days Ahead. There’s no need to carry out an internet search to discover that ‘Who Do You Love?’ was actually penned by a sixties band called The Sapphires. Listening to these four new tracks makes the fact plain enough. And, of course, the make or break question for any band in this position is: can the self-penned material stand up to that beguiling debut cover song?
Well, let’s pinpoint the difference between that cover and this new material. ‘Who Do You Love?’ – (that’s the third time I’ve typed it. I trust that you’ve been rewarded by a curiosity to find it on Spotify by now) – was pretty unambiguously a pop record; hinging on a clearly defined structure and boasting a real stinger of a chorus. But clearly, when it comes to writing their own stuff, the members of Museum of Bellas Artes owe more to the club scene than the pop charts. The chugging beats and stabbing synth riffs remain intact, but these tracks unravel with a more sprawling sense of fluidity compared to the verse-chorus focus of that early single. Sure, standout track ‘Watch The Glow’ sports an enchanting enough little chorus, but it’s ultimately a different beast altogether: more hypnotic trance than hand-clap sing along. So, what’s the answer to that make or break question? Well, if you came back for the songs, you’re liable to be disappointed. But if you came back for the beats, you’ll find plenty to like here.
The rhythm section on this EP provides a brilliant hybrid of the mechanical and the organic; boasting both the huge sounds of programmed beats as well as the vibrancy of live execution. In this respect, they call to mind LCD Soundsystem – creating engrossingly textural dance music, but with the feel and sound of live instrumentation throughout. The ascending bassline of ‘Days Ahead’ slinks upwards in tried-and-tested fashion, but avoids stagnancy thanks to endearingly imperfect guitar and synthesiser tones, invigorating the sound with naturalistic vitality. We hear the work of a garage band, rather than the work of GarageBand.
Which brings us on to the second biggest question we need to ask about this band: are those fucking panpipes we’re hearing? Answer: yes, or it certainly seems so in any case. And this is where Museum of Bellas Artes differentiate themselves entirely from a band like LCD Soundsystem. Murphy may use a cowbell from time to time, but Bellas Artes take a far more strident kitchen sink attitude – panpipes, one off guitar riffs, joyous handclaps, and other textural flourishes playfully enrich the band’s sound at every turn. The music is certainly energising then, but the formlessness of the vocal melodies and the shallowness of the hooks make for a significant Achilles heel. Museum of Bellas Artes are a band who have brilliantly fleshed out their sound; now all they need to do is to incorporate the melodic and structural focus of that first single, and then these ladies should be cranking out some seriously exciting dance songs.