Mouse Fitzgerald Presents - Living Like A Mouse (2016)

       

         Following up from last year's alt-emo ramshackle blast we find our fellow mice in a far greater vantage point than even I had thought. 

       

         If you are a new comer Mouse Fitzgerald (NY) synthesize a number of loves into a small and often intimate package. It frequently has an air of 90's alternative but with a real appreciation for intricate rock (post-hardcore and math alike) early emo and a punk spirit (in vocal delivery). That's not to say that these guys channel one more than another but you get a decidedly different ratio with each song while still maintaining a healthy identity. Tempo's are varied and and songs provide some nice structural surprises along the way. 

     


          While thinking of a apt group to lump them in with (if pressed) I'd say an alternate dimension Built to Spill if they had suckled less off the classic rock and indie of the early 80's.  Its difficult to say this especially while listening to songs like the end of Track 4 The Buildabear Group with its unabashed hardcore breakdown to liken them to an iconic indie group. For the most part riffs are the point man here which is why I think the comparison is apt. There are plenty of fantastic moments like this though that feel at home but refuse to be boxed into a "normal" genre descriptor's (Deafhaven, CT's take on shoegaze surf punk for example). 

      Its beyond a fantastic album.. period and a powerful statement for leaving at the end of their run. I always wish more groups would spend less time playing into something and exploring personal loves within a song while then moving onto the next group of idea's. MF are a prime example of this and for that reason I would recommend this to any one with a passing interest in rock music as whole.

To me this year its right up there with some of the best so far.