More about: The Mysterines

Dark, grungy, and beautifully intense: The Mysterines’ debut album Reeling, out this Friday (11 March) on Fiction Records has a way of creating an atmosphere for the darkest corners of rock‘n’roll, right from the distorted opening of ‘Life’s A Bitch (But I Like It So Much)’. It’s the kind of music that you want to hear in the basement of a rock club, packed into a shadowy room with a crowd that’s electrified by the music. That’s the effect that Liverpool’s The Mysterines have on you on their debut album as they suck you into their world of creepy grunge.

Throughout Reeling, they never quite settle on one genre, instead injecting their own style into the desert rock of ‘The Bad Thing’, the southern gothic twist on ‘Old Friends Die Hard’ and any other flavour of rock‘n’roll that supports that irresistible intensity. Frontwoman Lia Metcalfe’s low, gritty vocals highlight her as a formidable player in the rock scene, giving each song on the album an instantly recognisable edge reminiscent of Hole and The Pretty Reckless.

It's easy for an emerging band to play it safe on their debut, but The Mysterines do nothing of the sort here. Their gothic storytelling style and sonic relentlessness make them just as instantly recognisable as some of the scene’s more experienced acts. Infectious hooks that rule on ‘Dangerous’ and the titular ‘Reeling’ balance out more off-beat tracks like ‘Old Friends Die Hard’ with songs that are guaranteed favourites. But whether they’re adhering to a more standard formula, or pushing the boat out, The Mysterines are always enticing. 

With ‘On The Run’, they tone things down a bit, taking a break from pounding guitars and drums to explore something more stripped-back and simplistic, before launching right back into their alluring edge with the PJ Harvey-esque ‘Under Your Skin’, in which Metcalfe’s literary songwriting takes on the leading role, and paired back instruments allow the lyrics to bowl you over.

To have this level of balance, coherence and consistency on their debut album is an exciting sign for things to come. From the grungiest songs to acoustic showstopper ‘Still Call You Home’, no song feels out of place. On Reeling, The Mysterines have devoted themselves wholly to a specific sound and ambiance that they’ve explored in great detail throughout the record. On their next album, they could continue down the same road or change direction entirely; but rest assured whatever they do, they’re going to do it very well.

Reeling arrives 11 March via Fiction Records.

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: The Mysterines