Milagres
Glowing Mouth
Kill Rock Stars
Why is it that I haven’t heard of Milagres until now? I’m surprised they haven’t blown up as much as The Shins at this point. Maybe their newest album, Glowing Mouth, will be the catalyst that propels them to such heights. This band knows how to strike exactly the right chord of moodiness without becoming too nauseating for its listeners. The atmospheric world created by Glowing Mouth is quite inviting; it’s a maze you wouldn’t mind getting lost in.
Milagres has a knack for pairing acoustic strings and bright synthesizers, low-fi elements and sonorous vocals. The members of Milagres don’t just write songs, they create soundscapes quite reminiscent of Radiohead (although the songs of the former are much catchier than those of the latter). As I sit here and type this review, I am trying to pick out some songs to highlight, but I love almost every one of them on this album. I love the driving chorus of “Halfway,” which builds into a final crescendo towards the end of the song. I love the peppy, pop flavoring of “Here to Stay.” I love the fat, languid low notes on “Glowing Mouth,” which serve as the perfect counterpoint to the sprightly sprinkle of synth up in the higher register. I love the curious and simple guitar riff that carries the listener through “Lost in the Dark.” I love the slow, reverberated “Fright of Thee.” I suppose my absolute favorite is “Gone,” which carries you high into the clouds, gently lowers you down, and then builds you right back up again; the song seems to parallel an emotional Ferris wheel.
This is only Milagres’ sophomore album. My suggestion to readers is this: purchase Glowing Mouth by Milagres as soon as possible, so that when this band inevitably becomes the next indie heavy-hitter, you can pretentiously tell all of your friends, “Yeah, I was listening to them way before anyone else was.”
Milagres: http://www.milagresmusic.com
