Buckinghamshire duo MANTRA are definitely a triumph of dedication, having written, produced, designed and self-released this double A-side effort themselves and already sold 800 copies of it under their own steam. Impressive stuff by any standards, and something Whisperin' & Hollerin' would be happy to endorse in itself.
But after the plaudits for effort are handed out and received gratefully, are MANTRA actually any good? Well, the short answer to the six million dollar question is...yes, basically, if a little schizophrenic on the basis of these two tracks.
We'll come to the heart of the matter presently, but first a little backgroung info. Mantra comprise songwriting/ multi-instrumental duo Kesh Patel and Alex Routledge and they're based in that rock'n'roll mecca otherwise known as High Wycombe. As ever, though, it's the backwaters that produce the creativity and - resultingly - these are interesting tunes.
"Shake Me Down" is a mad, barely two minute heafduck of a thing, with bongos, house-y pianos, huge drumming, searing guitars like planes taking off and Patel desperately trying to shove them out of the way to deliver his yobby, (sorry) mantra-like vocal. It's all a bit indie-rock crossover -sorta like a mixture of "Screamadelica"-era Primal Scream and Hurricane #1, which isn't intended as a slag off, actually. Mad, but bloody joyous.
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After this bone-shaking hedonism, the stately, piano-framed "Forget To Breathe" is a considerable slap around the chops. Big, bold and the kind of thing that screams 'ANTHEM' from the mountain top with an industrial strength megaphone, it's not dissimilar to Embrace or (better) Oasis in "Stop Cryin' Your Heart Out" mode. Not truly this writer's cup of cyanide, really, but that's no comment on the quality of their songwriting.
Mantra then are an intriguing duo. I'd really need more to pass a balanced judgment, though, as these tracks are poles apart stylistically. Still, the fact I wanna find out suggests they're doing something right.
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