I keep reading and rereading the names of these English kids, and my expression becomes more perplexed about why there's moose blood involved. Boh, I'm fixated on these things, sometimes I even risk sounding like John Doe in Seven on this subject, I should improve. For instance, now Christopher McCandless comes to mind, who in Alaska killed a moose to survive. Or was it another animal, boh? No, okay, I'll stop getting distracted. We were saying. The Moose Blood, who are these four jaunty kids with their Vans, skinny jeans, and knitted sweaters straight out of an Oliviero Toscani ad for Benetton from the early '90s? They are friends from Canterbury who just want to have fun, nothing more, with a massive dose of sincerity that never hurts in a proposal like this. Yes, the hometown of our protagonists brings to mind other music scenes, but at the dawn of 2014, the year of the release of this "I'll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time", there is a stronger revival that has little to do with Robert Wyatt and his peers. A "rebirth" that does not appeal to me much, mainly because when stuff (god bless Verga) starts to saturate, the plastic effect is almost assured. However, noticing how it has taken hold, it's natural that there is something in the mix done with some care, even though a trillion good-vibes artists are beginning to emerge, who name certain influences like a template, have a certain sound, the wolf howls and the castle howls. What am I talking about? The rediscovery in the garage of boxes rich with Midwest school emo from the '90s, punk rock that's very easy listening, and that indie sprinkled there without a precise sense, but which slightly defines the general mood expected from this trend of bands. Moose Blood is no exception, but what they do, they know how to do well.
Published on No Sleep, thus guaranteeing a production that is not glossy, not too perfect either, but certainly clean, much to the delight of lo-fi lovers, this debut is the classic work you appreciate precisely for its ability to let you unplug. Moose Blood immediately understands that it's not the time for dazzling acrobatics lost on some Cornish cliff to try to recreate a sound that takes itself too seriously, a mistake that can be fatal. In short, in English: keep it simple. Because here's something to be said, this sort of watered-down punk in a pop sauce with memories of American Football (jab: I hope the trend of retracing their steps by taking every sport as the band's name is over, oops, there it is again, the obsession) or Texas is the Reason is not simple. Or rather, it is not simple to do it well. The right melodies are needed, that fit together neatly, that can hold up for the entire length of the album, because the effect of Grandma Duck's stew is always around the corner. And that's why I'm usually quite intolerant of this new wave; they are the perfect embodiment of the they're doing alright, but they could do more, homework and done. Moose Blood, without pyrotechnic blows, managed to make me fall in love, no it's too much, fancy their album and partially change my mind. There’s a bit of all that atmosphere you would expect if you wanted to have a bonfire with your friends and the girl you're in love with in the Sherwood Forest or at sunset on a Dorset beach. You spend half an hour that gets lost between melancholy and carefree moments, triggering a catapult that takes you back to the post-adolescent age (yeah, okay, even though I am 23 :coffcoff:) completing the puzzle without too many hitches.
Then, of course, you happen to read Bukowski, pull out Hemingway to impress and maybe throw in the sitcom Bayside School, without forgetting to watch American Beauty in your bedroom, knowing that quoting Kevin Spacey at this time is a safe bet; I did it too at the beginning after all. Undeniable and evident references placed there a bit cleverly, or maybe not, but who cares; after all, in Moose Blood's music, there is nothing demanding, and the tracks flow one after the other, fleeting and delicate, alternating between more intimate moments without falling into the most sugary sugar. A well-blended songwriting, that never forcibly hunts the catchy chorus or the sing-along, but that aims to recreate those feelings of somewhat bitter joy, without dragging you down to earth with wagons of tears like the Texas minerals. In its simplicity of late-summer harmonies, sparkling yet at the same time crepuscular, Moose Blood leaves you at the last stop that takes you home. They will never have innovation on their side, but the naive passion of those who grew up with Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate wins without the syndrome of relentless photocopiers affecting them. Come on, it's time to dust off old wardrobes and faded high school photos.
Tracklist
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