Single Review: Mondegreen - The Avenue
'The Avenue' artwork
The second new single release from Mai 68 Records in the last week - following The Shipbuilders' 'Hanging Me At Dawn' - is the sublime new single from Mondegreen. 'The Avenue' is the band's second single of the year following March's release 'Winter' and sees a band beginning to reach for the middle of the Venn diagram of their influences and find their own voice.
Widnes' Mondegreen are a band as inspired by the girl group pop music of their youth as they are the alt-folk of Laura Marling and First Aid Kit. Comprising of sisters Laura and Leanne Griffiths and completed by childhood friend Claire Smith - the band have been making dreamy and harmonious guitar pop for several years now. Previous E.Ps have been played by BBC Introducing and on BBC 6 Music and it's difficult to envisage a way this won't generate more attention.
Starting with the kind of guitar tone that would make Fleet Foxes look on enviously - 'The Avenue' is a delight from beginning to end. The real star of the show though is the effortless and beautiful vocals that hint of a love of Kirsty MacColl and that permeate your soul in a similar way to Hope Sandoval in Mazzy Star's work.
Mondegreen
Lyrically the song is an ode to the familiarity of home, but rather than it breeding contempt - in this case it's a source of comfort. In a year where most of us have spent more time at home that we have in quite some time; it's something we can all relate to. Just the Car registration to keep you in this century is the opening gambit, suggesting not feeling entirely content with modern life. Otherwise I'm not going to work and we're having a street party confirms this with a longing for something more than the daily grind that reminds me of Morrissey's lyrics from The Smiths' 'Still Ill' - If you must go to work tomorrow..
Everything was standing still, I imagine running into you adds an element of desire and as is a line that is treated with the fragility that you would expect. The production of James Wyatt should get a mention at this point - it never lets the vocals get overshadowed by unnecessary levels or distraction and gets the balance bang on.
The chorus is perhaps more in tune with the comparisons that follow Mondegreen around. The strength of the harmonies on this track fight their way to the front of the mix and demand your attention - much like they would with First Aid Kit. Do you want to go home? is the question being pleaded, but it's the end refrain that sticks with you - Where were you when I needed you most? It could be aimed at an ex or at the notion of home itself - either fits just fine.
Although it's inevitable to compare the music of Mondegreen to that of other harmony-infused Sisters in the Alt-Pop spectrum - musically it is somewhat lazy. The band have a sound that is maturing into something to be cherished in it's own right. The quality of the writing and playing on 'The Avenue' builds on the foundations created by Fleetwood Mac-like 'Winter' and should cement their position as ones to watch in the coming months.
The video for 'The Avenue' can be seen below with links to the Bandcamp page and other social media.
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