Review by Shannon Shumaker
Deserter, the new six-song EP from Seattle-based trio, Mansions marks a brand new chapter for the band. Taking a step away from their gritty, guitar driven sound for something heavily based around synthesizers and fuzzy bass, Deserter feels incredibly bright and a bit more refined than their previous material, but without sounding like a different project entirely.
The EP’s opening track, “Heel Theme” really embraces the synth-driven sound right off the bat, but in a way that sounds unlike any other artists currently jumping on the 80’s influenced synth-pop bandwagon. Instead, it’s a beautiful blend of Mansions’ already established gritty sound with deep, dirty synth. Rather than sounding bright and twinkly, the instrumentals are dark and moody, contrasting perfectly with the softer vocals and making for an intense opener.
Proving that they haven’t forgotten their roots, but are simply growing stronger with each release is the second track, “High Numbers.” The guitar tone in this song can only be described as dense, as you can practically feel how thick and full it is. It’s at this point on the EP that the incredible instrumentation really begins to shine, too. These songs are simplistic in a sense where they don’t feel over the top, but each track on the EP sounds unique. Where “Heel Theme” is really synth driven, “High Numbers” almost falls in line with artists like Citizen, and they work perfectly side by side.
Within just three of the six songs on Deserter, Mansions manage to master three completely different sounds. The emotional and fuzzy “I Feel Worse” feels a bit more empty than the first two songs, but certainly isn’t boring by any means. This is followed a couple of songs later by “Brain Fog,” which sounds exactly how the title suggests – slow, groggy and empty, but incredibly complex.
Surprising listeners once more is the stunning, stripped down closing track, “One Of Three.” Ditching intense synth and fuzzy guitars for simplistic, emotional vocals and an acoustic guitar, this song simply showcases yet another side of Mansions and effectively cleanses your palate after a rather full feeling release. While the songs before “One Of Three” can sometimes feel a bit busy and overwhelming at times, this beautiful final track gives you a moment to breathe and makes you want to listen to the EP all over again. This final track just solidifies Mansions’ most dynamic and experimental release so far, and whatever comes next promises to be great.
LISTEN TO: “High Numbers”
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