The sound created by Mayve during the opening strains of their new EP, Motion, is influenced by the new wave of the 1980s. Hints of Tears For Fears and The Psychedelic Furs are weaved through You. You is an airy and dreamy sort of alterna-pop; sequenced drums, richly emotive guitars, and a wispy set of vocals make this introductory effort tremendously compelling, a reason why fans should continue to focus in on the remainder of the EP’s seven tracks.
1924 has the same rich fuzz of Walk The Moon and The Killers. Every note is used to great effect; despite there being so many different things occurring at every second, the band is able to corral these disparate sounds into a cohesive and catchy song. The instrumental interlude at the 2:30 mark keeps things spontaneous and highlights the vocals entering back into the fray shortly after. Mayve is able to continue to create fun music with their Cruel Intentions, which for our money is the strongest effort on the Motion EP. This is due to a picture-perfect bass line and plinky synthesizers that work well alongside the inimitable vocals that are front-and-center.
Young Blood is a late-album track that is vitally important for listeners to focus on, as it provides a different Mayve. While there are still the odes to the 1980s, I feel that the impassioned vocals and more contemplative instrumentation of Young Blood calls out to artists like Matt and Kim. The Motion EP concludes with A Motion. This final track showcases another stylistic shift for Mayve, linking together the new wave influence of the first few tracks of the disc with a darker, ambient sort of sound (a la The Cure’s Disintegration crossed with Spandau Ballet.
Top Tracks: Cruel Intentions, Young Blood
Rating: 9.0/10
Mayve – Motion EP Review / 2016 / 7 Tracks / http://www.wearemayve.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/mayvemusic