You’d do well to watch out for Mini Mansions. The LA trio’s much-hyped sophomore album has been released just in time for the hip-band-hijack ahead of festival season.
Like loads of great bands – don’t be put off by their naff name. They may sound like the latest thing from Toys R Us but in reality they’re a great group – the 11-track LP is all slick psychedelic sounds matched with enough synthesizers to put Swift’s nod to 1989 to shame. Not that this group will want to have their name in the same sentence as T-Swift – these boys are bonafide rockstars with a capital R. And they certainly have the pedigree to prove it – having supported Arctic Monkeys in America they recently for Royal Blood on the current UK tour. Oh, and not to mention that vocalist Michael Shuman first found fame as the bassist in the Queens of the Stone Age.
The Great Pretenders is packed full with radio-friendly synth pop tracks -Beatles by way of the Beach Boys (no surprise given that Brian Wilson has collaborated with the band). Specialising in sultry sixties rock pop with a modern edge, critics are likening them to Arctic Monkeys and the moody rock of Turner’s Last of the Shadow Puppet’s era.
Where the band excels is their winning mix of distorted psychedelic beats over dreamy nostalgic melodies. Theirs is a sound that begs for sunny weather and a centre stage spot at Benicassim. Stand out tracks include the chaotic opener ‘Freakout’, along with ‘Honey I’m Home’ and the additively synth-driven “Death Is a Girl. Look no further boys and girls, the sound of your summer starts here.
[rating=4]