Melochrome - Stay a Little Longer
(Loose Thread)
Taking the keyboard percolation of Stereolab, the fuzzy dream world of the 4AD label, and the proto-slowcore pop of Galaxie 500, Melochrome is a bunch of kids from Chicago (the home of both Shellac and Mike Ditka, mind you) who create pretty, catchy downtempo pop songs. Throwing even more sounds into this static tempo, the band has recruited several guest musicians to add horns and strings to their arrangements, creating non-standard, interesting sounds.
A great example of this is "Summer Jens," the second track on the album, that starts off sounding like the world of fuzz of a 4AD band like Swallow. The songs are cute little pop songs, but the guitar makes a simple bed of fuzz that infringes on the space of the pop song. Some old 4AD band would let the fuzz overtake the pop song, being British and all, but since Melochrome is from Chicago, the fuzz stays neatly in the background, and the boy/girl vocals stay permanently in the foreground. Towards the end of the song, guest musician Dave Crawford creates some funny little blurts on his trumpet that add great character to the song and make it memorable.
"Let's Work it Out" and "The Far or the Near" remind me quite a bit of Call and Response in that both bands are trying to do an updated, literate take on the cheesy side of 60s and 70s pop, the side that is responsible for go-go boots and The Brady Bunch Kids. "The Far or the Near" eventually morphs into a simple little organ melody that is so cute and go-go-like, it sounds like children's music. "Let's Work it Out" is a little less saccharine (although it does throw in some hand claps). As the band works towards the chorus, the "fuzz" pedal is pressed, and the guitars get fuller, only to drop off when the lead vocals come in, the guitars turning into a spare melody.
"Holly" and "Late Nights" are both more standard slowcore songs and are a bit longer than the other songs mentioned. "Holly" starts off slow and quiet, but builds when the baritone sax comes in. "Late Nights" is a little less strong, as the climax is a bit messier of a sound--something Melochrome doesn't do as well--as the instruments don't sound as connected; though, it does have the 2001 rock requisite use of lap steel. You've heard a million songs like these (see everything from the Red House Painters to Damon and Naomi), but that doesn't discount that these songs are well done, never trying to overwhelm you but rather simply trying to sooth.
Melochrome mix this variety of influences well. Most follow the same tempo, giving the album continuity, and then they turn that tempo either into short pop songs or longer songs with builds in volumes. The songs are given character by a couple shoegazer pedals and a variety of live instruments, giving Melochrome an interesting sound.
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