MisterWives - Big Things Set For This Bronx Band

This has nothing to do with Valentines just passing but I think I'm in love.

Considering I’m usually partial to the rock/metal scene, the fact that MisterWives, a Bronx-based indie pop band has stolen my heart is surprising to say the least. But MisterWives’ debut album ‘Our House’ is everything the industry is craving right now; it’s inventive and fresh, unashamedly confident, and of course, overflowing with feeling.

Whilst the infectious beat and continuous high energy of this five piece’s debut work is the seller for me, one has to note the frontwoman Mandy Lee's voice - captivating in the more intense, Lorde-sque songs such as "Hurricane" and "Queens" and a contrasting beacon of confidence, if not, dare I say sass, in the Eliza-Doolittle-esque celebrations of youth (accompanied by the necessary trumpets)  in songs such as "Not Your Way" and  "Reflections". It’s really not hard to see why their previous EP, 'Reflections', earned a staggering 20 million streams online and saw MisterWives clinch the Number 1 spot on Billboard’s ‘Emerging Artists’ chart.

Yet I think MisterWives have taken up the challenge with this debut. It's a bold, impressive piece of musical indie pop gold, with songs and a feel that are simply infectious; you’ll find yourself bobbing and singing away in no time. But to acknowledge this doesn't mean that 'Our Own House' should be taken as a superficial creation, in fact quite the opposite. The album has a surprising depth, vulnerability and ability to connect in its later tracks such as "Queens" and of course, the more stripped back track of the album, "Coffins". Here the mesmerising quality of Lee's voice (as well as her impressive song writing skills) are displayed at their best. But ultimately it this diversity between the confidence and boldness of this album, with its occasional hints of vulnerability, that is most impressive.

If there was ever a band that was set to explode into the mainstream, it is this one. By all means, listening to the album invokes so many already successful influences - from the celebrations of  Eliza Doolittle, the intensity of Lorde, the captivating quality of Chvrches, the confidence and sass of the Noisettes, the list goes on. But MisterWives is by no means a bland imitation; they are THE brilliantly bold Bronx quintet from across the Atlantic - the very thing that British music scene has been waiting for.

Now 20 million people can’t be wrong now can they?

To find out more about MisterWives click here.

To visit the MisterWives Facebook page click here.

Words by Shannon Jackson

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