The Mary Onettes - Hit The Waves
- Written by Charlotte Stones
Five years following the release of The Mary Onettes' debut self-titled album and the '80's obsessed Swedes are still out to prove that their homeland has much more to offer than blondes, Benny and Björn. Even its follow up Islands was sitting fittingly amongst the age of synth-pop, of new New Romantics and of the return of face glitter, but hasn't time changed since then? Things have moved on but The Mary Onettes have gladly stayed put, reeling out more of their nostalgic '80's pop.
Hit The Waves surprises as escapist seaside serenity plays against dark and ghostly reverberations of past memories. ‘Intro’ is cinematic in its sound, echoing as emotionally haunted protagonists disappear into the mesmerisation of the sky. Yet there's an end to the 'dream pop' genre that The Mary Onettes label themselves with. Hit The Waves jolts as it catapults from hazed and confused synths to the more familiar New Romantic sound. Robert Smith-style vocals flood the album with tracks such as 'Evil Coast' and title track 'Hit The Waves' lacking musical motivation as they replicate the original new wave movement.
The Mary Onettes are out of steam; energy is lost on their grip of the 1980s. Even 'Unblessed's riffs prove uninspiring as they blandly imitate Duran Duran's 'Girls On Film' with over-tampered vocals and uninspiring lyrics.
It's not until album highlight 'Black Sunset' that we see exactly what these Swedes are capable of. It's still the usual '80's throw-back, but with an upbeat and screeching chorus that lifts the album in the way that it sorely needs. Hit The Waves does little in the way of breaking ground. There's little experimentation, lots of imitation but the band are far from mocking new wave. There’s no ruin with their close-to-covers mentality, despite how it may seem in relation to the past.
Hit The Waves is out now and available from amazon