Pathways by Meltt: Album Review
Pathways by Meltt: Album Review
Musora’s “Covers on the Spot” is a studio series in which artists are given a surprise song to cover. After the big reveal, band members spend the rest of the episode working out their own rendition of the surprise song. The catch is that they must add their own sheen to the final product, or as the host says, “at the end of the session, it’s gotta sound like you!”
Imagine if Devo were to cover a Zeppelin song, if Tame Impala were to cover a Blondie song, or if Sonic Youth were to cover a Carpenters song…er, well… But you get the drift. It’s a fun concept and a fine way to show how one band stands out from others. Members of Meltt accepted the challenge and covered the montage song of all montage songs- “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind (1997). Sure enough, the end product shows that Meltt have their own distinctive Alt Psych-Rock sound, which is calculated and steady, with atmospheric warmth. Their music ushers you to comforting subliminal topographies and surreal sun-drenched landscapes that you may have to wait for Theta sleep to access. And you can fully enjoy this state of mind when their new full-length album, Pathways, comes out on June 12th.
Cutting through the Alt-Psych brush and the thicket to form these “pathways” are Vancouverites Chris Smith (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keys), James Porter (vocals, guitar, bass, keys), Ian Winkler (Bass, keys, and guitar), and maintaining the BPMs is James Turner (drums). The album’s production has a bedroom-pop patina and a pleasantly warped quality. And while you listen to it, you will pay more attention to your magnified electric surroundings and to how light hits the sky and the leaves.
Meltt have already released track two on Pathways. “Up All Night” will give you a good idea of what is yet to be unveiled. It is dancy and upbeat. The drums have an infectious groove, with a 1-2-3-4-5 pattern on the high hat that ebbs and flows throughout the song. This rhythm pattern would fit well with those of backyard crickets and cicadas (once you’ve heard the opening track that begins with insects and a sun-kissed canoe paddle hitting archetypal waters, you’ll know why this is where my brain went). Chris Smith’s vocals are gentle with a little reminder of Chris Martin, and quite curiously, it sounds like he is alternating between lead and backing vocals as he sings “Up all.. up all night”- quite a unique artistic choice.
Much of the Pathways evokes images of light on landscapes or cityscapes. “By Your Side” showcases gentle harmonies that will caress your soul, and the overall sentiment of the song feels like that thin line of solarized sizzle when early evening sun hits the pavement. There are hints of retrowave and electronica woven throughout. The centerpiece is a synth-and-slide-guitar tandem solo that paints dreamy arcs in the sky. “I Love You” has an intro/chorus that sounds like you visited the Tale Impala tent. Yet this song features the slow sophistication of a Cass McCombs track. Turner’s playing is deliberate as he hits the snare with precision. The coda ups the wildness with even more layers and distant guitars holler through the landscape. “Another Elegy” brings the room down a little but does not lack in atmospheric shades of amber. Note the 80’s sounding guitar with a hollow bamboo effect fed through a delay, but only briefly. “In Your Arms” starts off with an acoustic guitar taking the lead with snare and high hat that has its back. The chorus is YOU gently floating over valleys, rivers, and fjords as you are just about to drift off to sleep. “Never Let go” has a buzzy, warbly keyboard that sounds like the flanged whoosh of a jet engine firing up in the rain, even though your plane is still parked at the gate.
Zachary Vague
The album finishes with the track “In Good Time”. It’s a fine denouement. Short. Simple. Perfect for bringing you back from these in-between places. The same gentle return to reality that “Her Majesty” on Abbey Road or “The Song is Over” on side one of “Who’s Next” offer.
Pathways has all the makings of your go-to summer album. It will be a perfect accompaniment for walking through city streets as evening light strikes the tops of old buildings. It will sound so wonderful as you appreciate shadows in full sun, or the light just before dusk. It’s perfect for lying back in your folding chair and enjoying the afternoon light at the tops of trees with the pop of blue sky in between. For me, the underlying theme of this album is light (if you haven’t picked up on this yet). It is not heavy at all, and it will allow you to escape. It will forge memories and help you conjure your fond memories of Summer ’26 in years to come. In the meantime, enjoy their featured episode of Musora’s “Cover on The Spot” and have a listen to “Up All Night” RIGHT! NOW!
The new Meltt album, Pathways, drops on Friday, June 12th.
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Riffindots is Britta Pejic–a musician, songwriter, artist, and foreign language teacher who grew up in Maine and lived in France (The Basque Country). Follow @riffindots for cartoonish fun and visual mayhem or simply enjoy her music at https://brittapejic.bandcamp.com
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