THE MELODIC Announce Anti- Debut Album
English afro-folk-pop ensemble The Melodic will release their debut album Effra Parade this November 5th via Anti-. It is the follow up to the band's acclaimed EP On My Way. English newspaper The Observer described The Melodic as "Incredibly beautiful, with harmonies and rich instrumentation that make you want to dance and cry at the same time," while in the US the band has drawn comparisons to indie darlings Beirut and The Decemberists. Today Relix Magazine debuts the first video off the new album for the song “On My Way.” You can view it here: http://www.relix.com/blogs/picks-and-pans/2013/09/03/video-premiere-the-melodic-on-my-way
The group's members came of age in the South London neighborhood of Brixton amidst bustling streets and open air markets reverberating with a rich assortment of musics from around the world. In the distinctly English tradition of sonic assimilation, they found influence in the sounds they were hearing. As band member Huw Williams explains, “Brixton is a real melting pot of different people so it doesn’t feel inappropriate for us to introduce sounds from around the world into our music, there was South American and African music around us all the time, as well as reggae and dub music.”
The Melodic are a quietly radical band. This is the first young English group to lionize Chilean neo-folk rebel Victor Jara since Sandinista-era Clash. Their new album Effra Parade was self-recorded in a sound-proofed bedroom in South London over several years with a baroque line-up of 18 instruments. All the more impressive when you consider they are still in their early twenties.
“Our bikes filled the hallway of this red and white 1920s terraced house and our instruments became part of the furniture,” the band says. “We ran wires under floorboards, constructed acoustic panels, and converted Rudi’s childhood bedroom into a modest studio, fully equipped with a fold-down bed for those late night sessions. There, under the watchful eye of a Lee “Scratch” Perry painting, we delved into the art of recording and production.”
In the end, the band has created a vibrant new music which references contemporary artists such as Belle & Sebastian, The Magnetic Fields and the Decemberists, exhibits a clear reverence for past masters Paul Simon and Bert Jansch and mixes in elements from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa to create a sound entirely their own.
“After so many years of friendship and musical exploration it’s hard to say when this album really began,” the band proclaim. “Being our debut, it is our life’s work to date and a testament to the time we have spent together, the places we have travelled to and the many people we have met along the way; all of which have shaped our experiences and our music.”
The Melodic will be touring with Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion beginning this week and opening up for Johnny Flynn and West Sussex Wit on September 23.
The Melodic Tour Dates With Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion:
Sep 05 The Saint Asbury Park, NJ
Sep 06 Fete Providence, RI
Sep 07 Club Helsinki Hudson, NY
Sep 08 Cafe Lena Saratoga Springs, NY
Sep 10 The Haunt Ithaca, NY
Sep 11 Westcott Syracuse, NY
Sep 12 Higher Ground Showcase South Burlington, VT
Sep 13 Cafe Nine New Haven, CT
Sep 14 Iron Horse Northampton, MA
Sep 17 Mercury Lounge New York, NY
Sep 18 World Cafe Live Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA
Sep 19 Club Cafe Pittsburgh, PA
The Melodic With Johnny Flynn and West Sussex Wit
Sep 23 Williamsburg Music Hall Brooklyn, NY
Track Listing for Effra Parade:
Last Thing You Said (intro)
On My Way
Imperfect Time
Plunge
Honey Bee (interlude)
Roots
Runaway
Ode to Victor Jara
Willow (interlude)
Come Outside
Lost You
Dreams of Air
Watch the World Turn Blue
Piece Me Back Together
Effra Parade (outro)
Critical Acclaim For The Melodic:
"Employing such worldly instruments as the charango, kora, and melodica, the band's sound is one filled with globe-bouncing catchiness, young spirited harmonies, and melodically whimsical rhythms." - No Depression
“Think Beirut meets The Decemberists meets The Magnetic Fields meets Paul Simon. Yes that interesting and perfect of a sound." - Daniyrselfclean.com
"With their bright melodies and bouncy, bare-boned instrumentation, The Melodic couldn't be more aptly named. Percussion shuffles along as the group's harmonies intertwine, coaleascing into a soft yet poignant timbre that evokes shimmering memories of careless days." - Paste Magazine