Are you ready to dance? The party MEGASOUND have put together on their eponymous debut album is packed with guitars, unforgettable choruses and plenty of attitude. Right from the start, they greet us with the words “If you know your party’s extension, please dial it now”, before checking the guitar, vocals, bass and drums and officially declaring: “Megasound activated”. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
MEGASOUND, the new project from Kerry Alexander and Chris Hoge (Bad Bad Hats) alongside Elana Carroll (Party Nails), have just released their debut album via Don Giovanni Records. For this record, the band set aside the synthesisers they often use in their other projects and opted for a leaner approach built around drums, bass and electric guitars. The result is an explosion of power pop, indie rock and millennial energy that could easily become one of your go-to soundtracks this summer.
The influence of the 2000s is obvious from the outset, but MEGASOUND make it their own with songs that feel fresh, direct and full of life. “Supersize” sets the tone with bright guitars, restless energy and an instantly catchy chorus, while the knack for memorable melodies recalls Fountains of Wayne and the guitars carry some of The Donnas‘ swagger. Tracks like “Dog Leash” lean towards the raw grunge of Veruca Salt, while elsewhere they tap into that early-2000s sweet spot between rock and pop that the fictional Josie and the Pussycats did so well. Everything is built around straightforward riffs, rhythms that make you want to move and choruses that stick in your head with almost insulting ease.
But beneath that bright surface there is far more anxiety than first appears. “I Hate It Here” turns creative burnout and the grind of trying to make a living into a fierce singalong, while “Record Baby” looks back to analogue technology, from vinyl and radio to pagers, as a way of escaping the noise of the present. “Lemon Peel” slows things down and moves into more emotional territory, caught somewhere between the fear of saying how we really feel and the sense that time keeps moving while we stay still. Then “Keep On Running” turns the passing of time into a “manic metronome”, capturing that feeling of running without really knowing where you’re headed.
“Dog Leash” shows off the album’s grungier side, with heavier guitars and tension that builds gradually. Elana makes it clear that she is perfectly capable of making her own mistakes, but she is not about to let anyone control her: “I’m a dog, but I’m not on your leash”. “Speck Of Dust” mixes existential crisis, absurd humour and a critique of the way the industry can reduce artists to little more than products. “Feels Right”, meanwhile, delivers one of the album’s most euphoric moments, as if, for one night, stepping onto the stage and letting go were enough to make all that effort worthwhile.
Perhaps that is why it makes sense for the album to end with “Now Is All We Got”. After spending the record running, spinning, waiting and searching for a way out, the album ultimately lands on the idea that the present is the only place where anything can actually happen. Far more reflective than its bright colours might suggest, Megasound is fun, catchy and invites us to a party where there is plenty of dancing, but also time to overthink life. Remember: Megasound activated. Now all you have to do is turn up the volume.
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