We're not the only ones to say that Hug should have been a much bigger band than they were, the national press were all over them in the early '90s, but sometimes things don't work out. Every cloud, as they say, has a silver lining. This silver lining is called Mechanical Mouse Organ and they've just released their storming debut album 'Get Over It'. Three members of Hug are included in the Newcastle band's line-up, which took shape following a reunion of their old group in 2011. The temptation could be there to do something wildly different, but equally to continue what they started and make the kind of songs they love. Being an awkward bunch, they've decided to go with a bit of both options.
'Get Over It' is a powerpop album, and it's overflowing with potential singles that are less, for want of a better word, fey, than some of the songs they've recorded previously. So there is a marked difference, but these are still guitar songs and the strong sense of melody remains, while lyrically you'll find many love songs that the band correctly describe as "self-depreciating" and "bittersweet". We plough straight into this will 'Ill Judged Text' (the name says it all really), which has some blistering guitar riffs and an avalanche of drums. The chorus is spot on, something they repeat time and again on this record. If you cross-pollinated Cream with Big Star then they might sound a little like this. 'Workaholic follows using a similar blueprint with a raw bluesy flavour in the breaks. Even by this point you know it's going to be a great ride.
There are punkier moments such as the excellent 'It's Just Love (Get Over It)', and the pop-punk of 'Torn Up Love Song', and even hints of psychedelia as with 'Honour System' which nicks the beat from 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. Only occasionally does the pace drop, and even then it's not by much. 'Call Me Up' is slower, but the lyrics shine through and the winding guitar gives a more classic rock sound, and the same could be said of 'I Know I'm Not The One'. Final track 'The Life Of Me' mixes all of the above together, making for a perfect ending. Those melodies are always there, they seem to just flow naturally. Mechanical Mouse Organ have as much promise as Hug, but good bands rarely do well commercially, so they might be a second bunch of underground heroes. If nothing else, they've left us with at least one album that sounds like a greatest hits.
Mechanical Mouse Organ's website
Stream or buy the album
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