A guy walks into a bar…in a pastel coloured suit after parking his U.F.O outside, the whirring of the outer space machine too loud to hear the jukebox playing inside. The guy sets his sights on a girl, he makes his move and falls flat on his face but he just starts laughing, hysterically. You were waiting for a joke, weren’t you? Well, the jokes on him. The guy that looked for love, the idiot.Â
Mini Mansions narrate a story of romantic grandeur and failure with their usual pompous pop sound. A side of rock’n’roll bite is there to help you wash down the main meal, whilst Mikey Shoes takes charge vocally this time round, his baritone voice a contrast from the falsetto of the past. The singles are the standouts – as you’d expect. They not only hold the album’s narrative together, but boast the biggest choruses and funkiest, most danceable instrumentals. ‘Bad Things…’ may be the best Mini Mansions song yet – a ferocious pop and roll song that doesn’t stray from the 100mph mark – whilst ‘Hey Lover’ demonstrates their creativity, as Mikey Shoes has a phone conversation with The Kills’ Alison Mosshart.
Whilst a couple of songs see you lose your focus, there’s enough intrigue throughout to keep you entertained. It’s a bucket load of fun, unlike trying to pick up a girl in a bar.
Haiku Review
Hopeless romantics
Walk into an old-school bar,
But the joke’s on them
