Melin Melyn – ‘Mill On The Hill’ album review: making music fun again
THE SKINNY: Art doesn’t always have to be so serious. There is undeniably a (boring) class of music fans who believe great work must be heavy, hard-hitting or dealing with big, tough topics to be worthy. But really, don’t we all just want a good time? Don’t we all want to laugh, have fun, and dance a little to some good tunes played by talented musicians? Melin Melyn understand that, and on Mill On The Hill, they more than provide.
Anyone who has ever seen the band live will attest to that. For a few years now, the Welsh troupe have been a must-see on the lineup. That’s in part because of their talent. Their songs are rich and immersive as the band’s instrumental power is so tight. They can be the world’s finest rock and roll band one moment, a country unit the next, a surfer group after that, and do it all with the same level of skill. But mostly, it’s because of the energy. You could be in the worst mood in the whole world and have it burst at a Melin Melyn show as their joy is so infectious, I swear it could crack a smile from Scrooge.
Mill On The Hill bottles that but in a golden way that doesn’t feel cringe like some overtly optimistic music does. While they’re undeniably a band unafraid to embrace whimsy, their album doesn’t feel jokey or gimmicky at every turn; the silliness is balanced by undeniable skill.
‘Vitamin D’ is a perfect example of that. As a song, it sounds exactly like a sunny day in audio form. It is bright, breezy and utterly joyous. But under it, the instrumental is such an expertly crafted piece of layering with the spanning six-piece all playing at their very best. They’re a unit that could easily pull off ‘serious music’. No doubt they’re talented enough to go off and write something gloomy and experimental and still make a masterpiece there. But their decision to apply their talent here to this commitment to fun is a real treat.
The entire album is. Led in with a theme tune that floats back around later, the start-to-finish album experience feels like an episode of some comfort cartoon show where the characters wake up, wander through this whimsical town, meet the characters, have fun and antics along the way, and then retire, ready to do it all again as the outro plays. It’s such a satisfying listen, but one full of obvious skill applied in a way that feels like popping a pill of pure serotonin.
For fans of: Happiness – plain and simple.
A concluding comment from the worst person you’ve ever met: “This album is so annoying. Why is everything so fun and silly? Whatever happened to art meaning something? Have you ever listened to Radiohead? Now that’s real music…”
Mill On The Hill track by track
Release date: March 8th | Producer: Llyr Pari | Label: Blomonj Ltd
‘Mill On The Hill’: A whimsical intro for a whimsical album, Melin Melyn’s commitment to atmosphere building here is admirable as this sounds like a storybook beginning before bursting to life as a fun theme tune for their own record. [3.5/5]
‘Vitamin D’: A song that sounds exactly like everything Melin Melyn are as a band: pure joy. Like a sunny day canned, it’s impossible not to crack a little smile listening to this unless you’re a completely miserable lost cause. [4/5]
‘Promised Land’: Peeling back the silliness for a second, this is a track when the band forces you to focus on the musical talent that often goes underappreciated under the fun. An earnest ballad about art and poverty, its country-blue tones are gorgeous. [3.5/5]
‘Fantastic Food’: Come on, tell me you don’t want to hear this on a perfect sunny festival day, drink in hand, swaying a little in the crowd and then letting loose at that big, rocking middle section. [3.5/5]
‘Dail’: Released to celebrate Welsh Language Day, Melin Melyn drop into their mother tongue. Made truly luscious with a saxophone solo, the world of this album just keeps getting more colourful. [3.5/5]
‘Derek’: Short and sweet, it’s a simple little moment of reprieve amidst the all-out fun. [3/5]
‘Mill On The Hill [Reprise]’: A mid-point in the storybook, the theme tune returns. As Melin Melyn translates to ‘Yellow Mill’, it’s also a theme tune for the group themselves, marking their debut as unforgettably their own. [3/5]
‘The Pigeon and the Golden Egg’: And we’re back to the silliness. Once again, tell me you don’t want to dance to this; come on. You could be in the worst mood in the world, and this sound would have your toes tapping. [3.5/5]
‘18-30’: Back in their mother tongue, but for something moodier, it’s a slow point on the album. However, if it was all chaos all the time, it would get too much. Yet, as the song builds bigger, it definitely gets better. [3/5]
‘Master Plan’: From Surf-Rock to country to pop to pure rock and roll, Melin Melyn can do it all. Here, all of them are mixed into one as the band are all playing at their best and biggest for one of the album’s most infectious instrumentals. [3.5/5]
‘Running On MT’: Get your cowboy boots out; we’re going line dancing. Spin your partner round and round as Melin Melyn release potentially this year’s most ‘yee-haw’ worthy track. [3.5/5]
‘Mill On The Hill [Outro]’: And it’s all over. With the theme tune returning in sleepy mode, it’s a satisfying ending for this storybook album. [3/5]
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