Album Review: The Moth & The Mirror
According to the press release, The Moth & The Mirror are a Scottish supergroup. Well, I don’t know about ‘super’ but on the strength of their debut album the band are pretty damn good! Made up of members of Arab Strap, The Reindeer Section, Frightened Rabbit and Admiral Fallow The Moth & The Mirror are exceptional musicians and Stacey Sievwrights stunning vocals top things off beautifully. Interestingly, from a band made up of members from these generally miserablist groups, the first thing that struck me about ‘Honestly, This World’ is how, musically at least, upbeat it is.
With influences from so many backgrounds, ‘Honestly, This World’ was bound to be an exercise in variety and it doesn’t disappoint; whether it’s the luscious orchestral pop of album opener ‘Everyone I Know’, the eighties pop of ‘Fire’, which reminds me of the Icicle Works, or the delicate, stripped down ballad ‘Boxes’, it’s clear that a lot of love and devotion has gone into the creation of every track. Pretty much any of these ten songs could be a single release candidate, and so as a whole ‘Honestly, This World’ is a truly potent proposition. With highlights including the gorgeous, laid back title track and the brilliant single ‘Gernamy’ with its angular percussion and awkward rhythms. and the gorgeous, simple melodies of Closing Doors’ you can’t help but fall in love with this album. Not sure about the band name though! 8/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Olive Grove Records
