The Mysterines - Reeling

The debut album from Liverpool’s The Mysterines is the sound of a band pushing through the undergrowth in reach of the sun. Despite their relative newness, some of their grungy garage-rock bangers feel like postcards from their future, more famous selves: the ingeniously-titled ‘Life’s A Bitch (But I Like It So Much)’, for example, possesses the sort of shout-alongs that are primed for festival fields. Their knack for melody is one of their greatest strengths, particularly when combined with frontwoman Lia Metcalfe’s husky tones, and the likes of the gritty swagger of ‘In My Head’ showcase this beautifully. They’ve even perfected the acoustic ballad, with late album highlight ‘Still Call You Home’ boasting a rawness and jaggedness to its sound that songs in a similar vein rarely achieve. In other moments, they still feel a little green, such as in the mid-paced one-two of ‘Dangerous’ and ‘On The Run’, which sound a little more like your favourite local band rather than festival headliners in the making, and which need a little more oomph for them to truly soar. Though not a flawless effort, musically speaking, this band’s baby teeth are not far off falling out.