I was chilling out by the canal a few nights ago, sharing a pint of absinthe with a few dudes I met at the record store. We’re tucked away under a steel bridge, passing the bottle around, sharing stories and cigarettes, mostly just shooting the shit. The topic circles around to what we’re listening to, and one of the guys tells us about this local band he found when he was hitching around California a few weeks back. The guy is ecstatic, raving about this indie act he stumbled on. I guess right before he left, they dropped a new single that blew him away. He pulls out his phone and shows us a clip from one of their shows. I snatched the phone out of this tweaker's hand to get a better look and soon realized I knew who this was; it was Mewtone.
Mewtone is an alt-rock four-piece from Southern California. I came upon them for the first time one muggy August night when, with a bottle of rum, I found their then-recently released single “TV Screen” on YouTube. I covered the song for none other than Music Scene Media, then settled in and waited for a new release to review. That was about a year ago now. I guess at some point I dropped the ball because the long-awaited third single has finally been released, and I had no idea. Nonetheless, “Miss Her” is here.
In that year, Mewtone has not lost an ounce of that SoCal style that defines their music. “Miss Her” is a warm, buzzy track that oozes alt-rock charm. The song comes barreling at you right out of the gate with two fuzzed-up guitar riffs that coil around each other like a water moccasin around a catfish. The drums are fast, mildly tinny, and engineered specifically to make you tap your foot along to the beat. Accompanying those drums is a heavy bass line that beats at your chest and makes your heart flutter. Pair all this with melancholic lyrics delivered with a deceptively lively performance, and you have “Miss Her.”
The song sounds like it's been ripped right out of a coming-of-age movie. It should be playing on a bright summer day as you tear along the interstate in a sketchy sedan with several of your closest friends and a joint to pass around. It’s a mournful track about yearning for a lost lover under the guise of a peppy alt-rock tune. It’s like chasing a shot of tequila with a spoonful of ice cream; it’s sweet, but it still burns some.
The release of “Miss Her” after a yearlong break between new songs invites speculation about what’s coming for Mewtone. Is there maybe a new EP or even an LP coming down the line? Some new show dates or at least another single to keep the frothy-mouthed fans satiated for another year? We can only hope. In the meantime, we have “Miss Her," and that’s more than enough to get me through this year. You can stream “Miss Her” on your favorite platform underneath any bridge you like, suspension or beam—it matters not—so go out and find it wherever you get your fix.
alex_proc03
