Mellowdrone– Go Get 'Em Tiger EP
Label: Loz Feliz/Artist Direct
Style: Lo-Fi, Alternative, Experimental
Released: 2004
My Grade: 4 stars
AMG: n/a
Sounds like: The Eels, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Muse

Mellowdrone is weird. The brainchild of Jonathan Bates is probably one of the strangest alternative acts to come around in a long time, from his Buckley-esque vocal delivery to his simple melodies – he has crafted something uniquely original. The first album I ever heard of his was A Demonstration of Intellectual Property EP; a powerful, yet sparse and brooding affair that captured my heart and made me long for more, throughout the album I felt his pain, and I struggled with him until the very last sound had escaped the short record. – and there lies the problem with his latest venture. No follow-up could ever match the standard set by his last disc, after first hearing his last album I knew he was born to fail, he could not achieve the same kind of critical and musical success.

This short album (clocking in at under thirty minutes) is a beautiful pop album, filled with clever word play ("Bonemarrow"), classic hooks ("Worst Song Ever") and some of the most brooding love rock ever created. Don’t pass this album over, or you will be hitting yourself in the head for leaving this out of your life. It is not as perfect as their last album, but it is a great companion.

Reviewed by: Samuel Aaron