Love Among The Mannequins – Radial Images (Album Review)
Wednesday, 02 November 2011
Written by Ben Bland
Everyone who worried that the tricky wordplay of ex-Meet Me in St Louis frontman Toby Hayes was now lost only to the lo-fi folk of Shoes and Socks off need not have feared. With the debut record by new outfit Love among the Mannequins, Hayes is back at his most deliciously impenetrable. With songs titles such as 'Nikolai Fyodorovich Fyodorov' and 'The Twentieth Century (Alan Watts / Edward Bernays)', it is immediately apparent that this is not going to be an album full of overwhelmingly catchy choruses but the songwriting here has a different charm.
Admittedly 'Radial Images' is not going to appeal to those who want their music clean cut and smoothed around the edges. Like all the best ‘post-hardcore’ acts, they tend to wilfully project an aura of compositional chaos. Sadly this can grate a little bit over the course of the record. There just is not quite the amount of subtlety truly required at times.
Listening to tracks in isolation it is clear that all the songs proper, not including the occasional interludes, are genuinely entertaining but the way they are pushed together on 'Radial Images' becomes a little tiring.
'Radial Images' is therefore a frustrating record. There is plenty of power behind these songs but at times one cannot help but wish there was just that little bit more variety. A clearly pronounced change of pace would be most welcome in the middle of the record. It is a shame because Love among the Mannequins could have made a real stormer but instead it is just a promising debut, one that is nothing to be ashamed about.
'Radial Images' is out now via Function Records.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
.jpg)
