Mesh
The Point at Which It Falls Apart
Metropolis
It seems that Bristol, England has given rise to many trend-setting artists, including Massive Attack. Mesh are no exception. This trio of synth-pop crafters manage to transcend the stale, and many times predictable mainstream pop genre. With their newest release The Point at Which It Falls Apart, at last available domestically on Metropolis Records, we delve into the band’s most mature effort to date. Meticulous production cruises alongside intelligent lyrics and emotionally charged vocals, delivering an impressive body of work. Opening this breath-taking release is the stunning “I Fall Over,” displaying Mesh’s use of dense electronics and passionate vocals. Speeding up the tempo, “Self Healing Lie” proves itself among the best high-energy dance tracks of all time. A climactic chorus resonates “I’m your self healing lie, don’t need a reason to watch you die, I’m just a body that’s dead inside.” The entire album fits together like a well-tailored suit, balancing premier musical expression, moving vocals, and vibrant songwriting into one cohesive piece. There are times when the vocals penetrate the soul with incredible passion and style.
“The Damage You Do” contains the kind of chorus that spells out “Hit Single!” Mesh excel in their intelligent use of sounds, song structure and production techniques. The band knows how to produce exciting and evocative synth-pop music with an edge, while allowing enough breathing room to enjoy each musical element. Few artists have mastered this balance, style, and emotion as well as Mesh and it is unlikely that this will change.
The Point at Which It Falls Apart may be the most difficult album I have reviewed, simply because it is so utterly fantastic in every imaginable sense. It receives my vote as one of the top five releases for the year 2000. The only thing that scares me is never coming across another release that measures up!
