Works Every Time
Caroline, 2018
8/10
The LA trio of Zach Dawes, Tyler Parkford and Michael Shuman, i.e. Mini Mansions, offer their most personal effort here, but one that’s certainly not lacking in fun as they even bring a 4th member in on drums, Jon Theodore.
The title track starts the EP with plenty of danceable rhythm as’80s synth-pop nods are front and center, and “Midnight In Tokyo” follows with a similar energy where plenty of melody and light buzzing highlight the pop influenced climate.
The back half of the listen offers the more ominous and raw “This Bullet”, where playful electronica enters the adventurous setting, while “A Girl Like You” brings in Mike Kerr on the fuzzy cover that touches on industrial sounds but with much mass appeal as they put a unique spin on the Edwyn Collins hit.
Certainly a departure from their psyche flavored 2015 album The Great Pretenders, here there’s a sleek take on rock that’s hip-hop influenced while still being very much aligned with Shumer’s work as the bassist of Queen Of The Stone Age and Parkford’s stint with Arctic Monkeys. With this much diversity in attendance, the next Mini Mansions LP should be superb.
Travels well with: you. Guru-Young Adult Fiction; Sundae Crush- A Real Sensation