Link: Melloedrone HomePage and Mellowdrone MySpace Page.
The Inside Pulse: Think of Mellowdrone as a modern-day Nine Inch Nails. Not that they sound alike, but just as NIN is a moniker for Trent Reznor’s solo music under a group nom de guerre, so too is Mellowdrone basically a front for one-man band Jonathan Bates. Catching the attention of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, Mellowdrone began making a name for them(him?)selves opening on tour for him. Now, they’re hitting the stands with their major label debut, Box.
Positives: Bates is a good musician, as evidenced by this album. But that’s about it.
Negatives: Take a tip, Señor Bates. If you sound bored, then your listeners are going to feel bored. There’s a reason shoegazing bands died a slow death, because their listeners fell asleep and couldn’t make it to record stores to buy albums. Listening to Bates drone on with songs like “Fashionably Uninvited” and “Orange Marmalade” will help even the most sleep depraved listener find sweet slumber. The whole attitude of this album can be summed up by one track: “F*ck It Man”. F*ck it indeed.
Cross-breed: A more somnambulant Radiohead or Eels.
Reason to buy: Because Tylenol PMs or Ambiens just aren’t cutting it anymore and another sleepless night may provoke you to violence.
