We’ve seen the last of summer in New York, and my street is wearing orange. The skies are silver and it’s finally getting colder. There’s a kind of “new school year” challenge in this season, at least with the right soundtrack. I think you’ll find that the Mispers, out of London, are that soundtrack. “Coasts”, their latest single, has a kind of cagey, prickly dissonance to it — like an intelligent person in a bad mood, it lashes out in ways you might not necessarily expect. Toward the conclusion, it even reaches string-infused theatrics that compare to the Arcade Fire.
I’m in love with the vocals here — there’s a kind of teenage combination of rage and vulnerability in them that seems both authentic and fucking painful. This singer seems like he’s either going to burst into tears or flames as soon as his microphone switches off and, shit, if they ever make it out to New York that’s something I’d like to see. The other stuff on their Soundcloud is worth a listen, too. “Brothers” is better than “Coasts” in some ways, but trades fun for being definitive in feeling. I’d like to see these cats work shorter — a nice two minute snarl or something. Either way, they’re good and I need to buy a jacket.
