Météore - Météore

 

 

Météore - Météore
Self-released - November 2021
Psych, alternative, indie
Rated: ****

Following up on their excellent 2019 demo, Montreal's Météore deliver on that early promise with this month's self-titled debut. Darker than their demo but just as emotional and moving, the new album spans five tracks of melancholic, graceful psych/alt rock anchored by smooth yet powerful layered French vocals. Opener "Les bottes" ("Boots") is the heaviest track of the bunch, and starts things off with choppy crunching guitar interspersed with delicate acoustics. Haunting vocals help create an eerie atmosphere, and snappy drums shift to a pounding attack when the sinister, churning low end kicks in to hammer the performance home. This sonic heft takes a backseat in second cut "Ineptie" ("Ineptitude"), however, which opts for a sweeping, dramatic approach as bright guitars and tight kitwork underpin angst-filled vocals, rising and falling with the instrumentation. Météore soften the mood even further on highlight track "Les mêmes erreurs" ("The same mistakes"), with shuffling drums and delicate, sunny strings creating a minimal soundscape with a toe-tapping groove. The fuzzed out chorus briefly turns on the thrusters, and in the second half Météore's more psychedelic tastes come to the fore with some languid, piercing guitar licks. Two-part finale "Mon cœur (À l'envers)" ("My heart (upside down)") and "Mon cœur (Rebâtir)" ("My heart (rebuild)") close out the proceedings, with "À l'envers" taking the more subdued route with hushed, gentle strings and mournful vocals, though some crunch is to be found in the chorus to add some oomph to the tune's emotional punch. Things take a turn for the epic, however, as "Rebâtir" unfolds in operatic style, guitars washing over vocals that build and build, paying off in a dramatic and cathartic comedown with some well-placed keys. Météore have proven their time since the demo days has been put to good use, as their self-titled shows a mature and confident band that's not afraid to put some drama and feeling into their melancholic take on alternative and psychedelia.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

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