Search - Mellowdrone :: Box

Truly captivating!

Benjamin Norman | Washington DC | 04/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While I can't say that absolutely every song on here is amazing, it's pretty damn close, and that's saying something! I was browsing the record store I work in, looking for something new, preferably something with an entrancing female vocalist. The cover of this CD shows a rather mysterious female, so I gave it a listen. Now, while it wasn't what I was searching for, I was floored! "C'mon Try A Little Bit", the opening track, reminds me a LOT of Massive Attack's "Angel", the rising action and minimalistic vocals providing the perfect soundtrack to an apocalypse.



Things do get brighter though. Their first single off this album, "Oh My", is a rambunctiously sexy rock song. I can't quite figure out the lyrics, but it seems as if it is about bringing the wonder of the world to someone who is self-descructive. The album bounces back and forth between slow and seductive and rambunctious, all the while maintaining the entrancing intensity shown in the first track.



Other tracks to look out for are "Fashionably Uninvited", "F*** It Man", "And Repeat", "Orange Marmalade", and "Bone Marrow". Just because I didn't mention others doesn't mean they aren't good! This album is great, but you may find yourself skipping a track here or there. I can't wait for more from these guys!"

Mellowdrone - box

LS & MB | NY | 04/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You could not say that mellowdrone suffer from anxiety of influence. With nods ranging from noir-ish Angelo Badalamenti to metal giants Pantera to Scott Walker and even J.S. Bach, mellowdrone's music proudly displays a wide range of interests, yet maintains an overarching aesthetic entirely its own. Whether the aim is to rock hard, dance or chill, the songs have a structural elegance, great melodies coupled with inventive harmonic landscapes, and are delivered with a voice alternatively hushed & intimate and full of bravado. Put on "Box" and you're in for a ride: the album moves seamlessly from the opening techno grandeur of "c'mon try a little bit", the ready for prime-time power pop of "oh my" (shredding and all), the haunting beauty of "fashionably uninvited", and the Bach-esque prelude and pedal tone of "madison", to the sensual funk of "orange marmalade", the humor and staggering structure of "amazing", through the Andean romp of "bone marrow", to the final harrowing lullaby "limb to limb". To anyone who can't see the genius in such a range, just think of the White Album....

Mellowdrone is essentially the brainchild of singer/songwriter Jonathan Bates. Bates was born in Venezuela, raised there and in Miami before attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston as a guitar scholarship student. He left Berklee just shy of earning a degree, but gained something more important: "I'd spent so much time worshipping the guitar and mastering it as a piece of engineering, that I missed the point - the guitar is the means to the end and the song is the end. It sounds so elementary, but it was lost on me until I was 20 because I was practicing so much. When I truly discovered music, the world opened up to me." Bates moved from Boston to Los Angeles, where he made his own home recordings, sold them on his website, and started garnering a following playing open mics and small clubs before adding bandmates. We've been watching mellowdrone for a while now; hopefully their time has come - they deserve it!"

Out of the Box is more like it.

S. Alix | NYC | 04/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What you have here is a record that you let play without skipping a single track. I've been a fan of Mellowdrone since I got their second EP at a show where they opened for The Fire Theft. Most of the time I yawn my way through opening acts but this band caught my attention from the get go with their incredible talent for melody and a performance that was far more mature than most opening bands ever give. They proved that they were right on their way to being the opening act on their own tour some day. Some time later and I've worn out my "Go Get Em Tiger" EP and they finally drop their debut record.



You will not be dissapointed. They included some of the best tracks from past EP's and wrote some very impreesive new material showing their range and ability to variate on every single track. No two songs sound alike and the record flows smoothly like a good cold beer on a hot day. The lyrics have a wicked sense of humor and while the the music may be considered dark the lyrics can be surprisingly uplifting. So what if Coldplay grew some balls? What if Radiohead was born in the USA? Well Mellowdrone is the love child of alternative rock mixed with modern sensibilities. It may be a [...] child but I'll be damned if they aren't worth following. If you buy this record you'll be with this band for the long term, I guarantee it."