Mason Proper
There Is A Moth In Your Chest
Dovecote
I swear I did not know Mason Proper was from Michigan! Everyone knows I’ve got a weak spot for Detroit bands (White Stripes, The Stooges, Gore Gore Girls, The Dirtbombs, The Detroit Cobras, The Hentchmen) – an obsession, really. I really need to just make the pilgrimage to the motor city already. It’s long overdue!
But Detroit is now not the only metropolis in Michigan to produce a noteworthy act sure to gradually drill its music into my psyche. Northern Michigan’s Mason Proper are poppier, more indie-centered than the garage and punk rock beacons south of them, but still I find the music irresistible.
On their debut Dovecote release, There Is A Moth In Your Chest, the pop-centric boys have written what are sure to be some permanent additions to your iPod. “Miss Marylou Carreau,” “Chemical Dress Eliza” and “My My (Bad Fruit)” may not mean much to you now, but they’ll be your new favorite songs in about 10 minutes. “Mr. Charm” is a quirky, spastic Pixies by way of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah sort of whacked-out expression that stands out like a white shirt at a metal concert, but whose charm is undeniable.
I can’t quite put my finger on whom they remind me of, but I look at that as a good thing. Their songs sound familiar upon first listen without sounding forced or like a second-rate imitation. It’s enough to keep me going back for more.
Mason Proper: http://www.masonproper.com
