The first leg of the launch tour of Mere Women’s new album Big Skies kicked off with Little Lunch’s simple melodies, clean instrumentation and straight to the point lyrics in bite-sized songs that fit together like a puzzle and felt just as satisfying.
Wives’ perfect post-punk discordance was simultaneously nostalgic and refreshing, with enchanting guitar riffs, powerful vocals, and an effortless grace from Gus McGrath as he floated around a keyboard, creating unnerving layers of sound with the perfect amount of laser sound effects.
Mere Women commanded the stage they stood on, with frontwoman Amy Wilson passionately dancing behind her keys and fuelling the performance. Her urgent vocals reflect the requirement for strength and invulnerability in her experience, while perfectly articulating her intimate thoughts. Repeated lines succeed in hammering home themes of isolation and a rare insight into the female experience, while tying together jarring rhythms and distorted synth and guitar.
The addition of bass to the former trio reveals a consistent through-line; guiding you through a heavy, almost claustrophobic soundscape to a truly Artaudian catharsis. This release is felt most in the performance of ‘Curse’; a startling palate cleanser of internal monologue accompanied by simple, but purposeful piano.
The title track of the album is … harrowing. Opening with a guitar riff that feels like running through a forest in a horror film, with a sharp drum rhythm layered on top like branches reaching out to pierce skin and break your fall. This ultimately builds to the startling lines, “You better get a dog, girl/You better lock your doors”.
