It feels like I’ve hearted the Maccabees since forever-- and I’ve waited long enough to write up a post about them, so here goes. Gosh, I love these guys, and I find that it’s such a shame that they didn’t receive as much recognition as they should during the last year. But then it’s a whole lot better that way I guess, rather than being too over-hyped like Vampire Weekend, which as it happens, people are starting to get sick of them already, and to think that their album came out only a few days before…right, moving on.Maccabees is that band, that I’d mistake for being based in the United States (I know, stupid me), but after discovering NME’s deepest devotion for them, it would only make sense to think that the Maccabees are indeed from the UK. It’s not much to what the magazine has for headliners, Arctic Monkeys, or Klaxons, or the Strokes even, but it’s there alright, and it’s there to prove itself. However, only after you’ve thoroughly listened to the music of the Maccabees, will you then understand what the fuss is really all about.
These are glistening, luminous pop chops that are hyper and vibrant, and the best ever to be filling a band’s debut. They’re quietly melodic, while washed over with sure, clear, sharp vocals-- perfectly displayed in one of the record’s best, ‘Precious Time’. The band is best known for wonderfully exhibiting their British indie-art-pop perfections that’s styled with energetic post-punk influence. Daytrotter Session has the most gorgeous sounding acoustic versions of ‘First Love’ and ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ that’s ever laid on my ears. When I first delved into these two expanses, I thought that I’d just died and went straight to heaven; to say that these two tunes are beautiful, would just be an understatement. While I’m completely enthralled by these two versions, one would listen to the originals, and favour those more. It’s all a matter of sequence and first impressions, listening to the original versions later, just made it difficult for me to readjust-- original ‘First Love’ sounded a bit drag-ish, same goes with ‘Toothpaste Kisses’, plus it also had me pondering, the whistling is kind of unnecessary for a start.
‘First Love’ to me, was meant to be sung acoustically, escorted with none other than the wearisome guitar picks, and the inviting, reassuring words, showcased with a playful whim: are you cool? / symmetrical, analytical, hypocritical / and that's plaintively sung. ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ is that perfect mellow, subtle, sweet track that’s meant to warm your heart; swathed in a condensed pacifying mood and beautifully complemented with affable plucks of the strings. A video named ‘extreme snogging’ for the tune, is again, completely unnecessary and kind of killed it for me (a case of wrong mood, wrong tune); a minimal, laidback, little video while leaving the song do the rest, would’ve done the job perfectly. But then, that’s not mine for the saying, *sigh*.
|mp3| The Maccabees - Precious Time
|mp3| The Maccabees - First Love (Daytrotter Session) Highly Recommended!
|mp3| The Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses (Daytrotter Session) Super Duper Recommended.
