Noemi Elias
Audio By Carbonatix
Mourn have finally added some new colors to their sonic palette. On the gentle and stirring “Orange” off their latest album, Sorpresa Familia, the band turns down their post-punk fury. A short song that blows by like a gentle breeze, it relies on chiming guitars and sweet voices cutting through a haze.
On their self-titled debut and follow-up Ha, Ha, He!, the Spanish band tapped into their love of dissonant ’90s rock to create songs with teeth. Tunes like “Your Brain Is Made of Candy” and “I Am a Chicken” draw you in with their melodic beauty before the music kicks into high gear, snapping into you like a bear trap.
After severing their tumultuous relationship with their label Sones, the band sounds lighter and freer on Sorpresa Familia. They can still sound as angry as PJ Harvey, but they’ve grown enough as songwriters to pull other colors out of their emotional Crayola box. While “Bye, Imbecile!” still has that trademark Mourn sharpness, album highlights like “Candle Man” beguile the listener with tambourines and haunting vocals that recall the Paisley Underground sounds of the ’80s. Who knows? Maybe Mourn will drop acid and go full psych on their next LP.
Mourn is playing on Thursday, July 26, at Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue. Tickets are $12-$14 at ticketfly.com.
