Eclecticism can be a two-sided sword musically. On the one hand it can be highly entertaining, if a band is able to master more than two or three or four different musical styles. On the other hand, then some other things must be well-done as well, like the tracklist, the arrangement and tonality of the songs and also the vocals. Northern Germany-based married couple MIGHT might have found a good way to give us another really great highly eclectic release, Abyss.
Abyss is one of these records on which not many tracks follow the same genre – you will find power-pop elements reminding one of the days of Hüsker Dü or some nicely grooving metal (less Biohazard and more Prong) but also a few blast beat attacks thrown in for good measures. Ana Muhi’s vocals come floating towards the audience’s open ears, sometimes a bit Múm or Under Byen (because of her vocal pitch) but also sometimes a bit Beth Gibbons or Jarboe (because of the easiness with which she creates the most intimate moments). But they are never naïve in any way, they’re rooted very much in the present and that surely is a good thing as they are not meandering along endlessly. Nevertheless, they are a good sign for a highly variable band.
When thinking about the different genres, one must only have a look at the first six tracks: the opening prelude ”Naked Light” is a piano-based melancholy with a lot of longing vocal lines by Ana, who also plays bass and piano, before her six-string-swinging husband Sven Missullis joins in with some heavy post-metal riffs. Second track ”Lost” finds Sven taking other vocal duties one this forward-fleeing riff cascade in noise-blast-beats that is still able to shift gears seemingly without any effort. ”Abysses”, the quasi-title-track, comes next and it surely is an engaging bastard between post-punk, noise-rock and some gothic elements, especially Ana’s longing vocals again. When her voice goes higher and higher and is just about to break, then it sounds strongest. Perfection. Fourth track ”Circles“ is this aforementioned piece of power-pop with the drums jump-starting the track and returning for the chorusses. This track might have been a treasure-trove found on a long-forgotten 80s compilation, which is being un-dusted after opening the time-capsule in your local high school‘s garden where a new tree shall be planted.
And then the fifth track “Whos Ahead“ is the unwished-for break with only Ana and her piano but the way she lets her vocal chords shake and shiver is wonderful. The track is short (roughly 160 seconds) but it is a wonderful second starting point uphill and uptempo again. The following tracks each pick up speed again a bit and that‘s where the tracklisting comes into play. When the first four form an eclectic, wild quarto, then the next track first have to find their step again and that step goes up. A really great arrangement. That the next track, “Tightrope Walk“ then starts with a mid-tempo acoustic guitar intro is one of the nicest examples how to connect to such an intimate track like “Whos Ahead“.
With all that being said – it should be clear that this band can only release their music on one label only: Exile on Mainstream Records. Andreas has already released their debut two years ago and there was never any question that he‘d do their second album as well. And on the roster of EOM you will also find the most adequate comparison: Treedeon! And of course, they will also play this year‘s edition of the wonderful, legendary and final edition of Andreas‘ South of Mainstream Festival which will take place in Berlin on the weekend of September 9th and 10th at Berlin‘s Zukunft am Ostkreuz. So if you are in or close to Berlin at that time, please buy a ticket! You won‘t regret it! MIGHT will be there and will hit your ears, brain and heart with one of the nicest loads of eclecticism you might hear this year.
