Album Rating: 3.5

unfortunately the new album has just made me appreciate this album more.

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

Both of them kind of suck tbh. Agreed with zeta that they've lost that uniqueness. Their first 3 albums were varied and creative and catchy as hell, and now it sounds like they've settled in to this new sound. Everything sounds a little too hazy, sort of drowned out in the production. I'm not a fan.

Album Rating: 3.5

A little pumped for the new record. Just expecting the usual Mew goodness. Haven't really listened to the new single.

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

I dislike how the vocals and guitar work take a backseat to the production. I much preferred when those things were in the forefront

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Glad I've loved the new record so far.

Album Rating: 4.5

First thing I thought was how much I missed Bo. He really made No More Stories and this album so special with the whacked out guitar riffs. Of course their other albums rule too but those two had the best mind bending guitar.

Album Rating: 4.5

I know it's a bonus track, but "Heavenly Jewel Thief" is possibly my favorite. Has an older Mew sound which I like. "Nothingness and No Regrets" is also pretty top-notch; kinda sounds like a fairytale. "Learn Our Crystals" has a really nice beat and interesting sounds. Definitely would love an album full of songs like those. Still haven't come around completely to "In a Better Place," "Shoulders," or "Aye Aye Aye" yet, but I'm enjoying it some more. It's just a very odd sound for Mew I think.

Album Rating: 3.5

Well, I just checked out Heavenly Jewel Thief on your recommendation and holy shit it's their best song in like a decade. How the hell did they not put it on the album? What the fuck were they thinking?!?! I'm so glad the Japanese bonus track version leaked though or we may not have heard it.



What the fuck were they thinking though? Call me crazy but Heavenly Jewel Thief would have fit pretty perfectly as one of Frengers's better songs. Such a gorgeous chorus.

Album Rating: 3.5

@sixdegrees Carry Me to Safety is one of the best songs on the album so if I were you I'd lower your expectations to the floor.

Album Rating: 4.5

Yeah.. definitely sounds more Frengers for sure. Really stuck out. The other bonus track sounded like No More Stories with its oddball rhythm and shorter length. I don't know why they didn't include the bonus tracks. They're better than a lot of the songs on Visuals. I normally delete leaks once the album is officially released but I'm keeping this one because of the bonus tracks.

Album Rating: 4.5

I just can't get over "Nothingness and No Regrets". It was the epic song from this one I think. It should've been the actual closer though rather than the opener, the lyrics even enforce it. It might be my favorite song of the year thus far. I just wish it wouldn't end so abruptly. They could've kept going. I still stand by my stance that "Carry Me to Safety" is a sucky closer. Should've tacked on "Nothingness and No Regrets" to the end and then expanded it to be 8-9 minutes. It ends so quickly. You know they could've kept it going for a long closer epic.

Album Rating: 4.5

I love +- so should I be excited? Cause I'm pretty excited

Album Rating: 4.5

That's quite a hard thing to answer. It's a lot less quirky than +-. I feel it's more haphazard than +-. There are elements of Visuals that absolutely shine and then there are some that should shine but just don't but really would if they thought them through. Especially "In a Better Place" and "Zanzibar". The former is very pretty and has nice ideas but ultimately bores because it doesn't go where you think it's gonna go but drags out as one of the longer tracks. "Learn Our Crystals" is a more thought out version of it though. "Zanzibar" is pretty but it unfortunately goes nowhere. But if you're expecting anything like +-... no. This new album is very different. "The Wake of Your Life" is probably the closest thing you'll get. A lot on Visuals feel like they should be more epic than they are and that's my only gripe. They cut too many corners. It's just like a bite size candy you wish was a full bar. Speaking of which "Candy Pieces All Smeared Out" is pretty cool too. I'm warming up to the new album day by day. But I knew +- ruled quite a bit the first time I heard it.

"Nothingness and No Regrets" is one of the best songs the band has let out. Seriously can't explain how fucking good it is. Unfortunately it's just over too quickly. I keep it on repeat a lot.

No More Stories >(or equal to) Frengers > +- > Visuals > Glass Handed Kites

The best way to sum it up: if you thought Glass Handed Kites was good but too long and boring, you'll probably enjoy Visuals as it has a similar sound but a lot shorter. The highest points on Visuals ("Nothingness" and "Heavenly Jewel Thief" (the latter only if you get a deluxe version)) are better than anything anything Mew has done since +- and Frengers. However the lesser cuts are some of the worst in their discography. Not gonna go lower than a 4 for it though. It's better than GHK by a decent margin, but not quite as good as +-

Album Rating: 3.5

Alright time for some ranking:



1. Glass Handed Kites: 9/10

2. No More Stories: 8/10

2. Frengers: 8/10

4: +-: 7/10

5. Visuals: 7/10



On Visuals:



(0. Heavenly Jewel Thief)

1. Carry Me to Safety

2. Twist Quest

3. Ay Ay Ay

4. The Wake of Your Life

5. Shoulders

6. Candy Pieces All Smeared Out

7. 85 Videos

8. Nothingness and No Regrets

9. Zanzibar

10. In a Better Place

11. Learn Our Crystals



The top 4 songs are better than most of the tracks on +-. The rest of the songs are worse than most of the tracks on +-. Visuals has higher peaks but is less consistent overall.



In a Better Place would be in a better place if there was actually a chorus. I was trying to figure out why the song loses my attention so quickly and that's why: there is no chorus. Just the intro melody played instrumentally in place of where a chorus would be. Shame.



There are some bad rhyming couplets on Visuals that ruin some songs for me too, specifically Nothingness and No Regrets and Learn Our Crystals. Carry Me to Safety also has a bad rhyming couplet but luckily it isn't in the chorus so I can look past it.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Candy Pieces All Smeared Out is one of the best songs from Visuals.

Album Rating: 4.5

I'm about to listen shortly so I'll come back with how I feel about this.

Also, for as much as I have been listening to this band, I still am not sure how to rank their albums, probably because I tend to just come back to certain songs from each except for this album where I listen to nearly everything. It's kind of exciting though because I slowly keep finding more songs to love by them.



I guess my ranking based on that would be

1. +-

2. No More Stories

3. Frengers/Glass Handed Kites, I think Frengers reaches higher high points but Glass Handed Kites has more songs I listen to.

Album Rating: 3.0

I discovered this band not too long ago, but I've been listening to them frequently since then. This to me is their weakest although it needs more listens from my part. Still, Mew is amazing.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

There's much to love about this album, but the new one has stronger songwriting, I think.

Album Rating: 4.5

I am loving Visuals so far. Learning Our Crystals was amazing. That and the first 3 are my favorites so far

Album Rating: 4.5

^exactly. Those are the best ones. I hope you got the bonus tracks too. But since you don't hold Frengers highly you may not like Heavenly Jewel Thief as much as Minty and I though. Glad to see more love for Learn Our Crystals. Definitely a highlight for me too that doesn't get enough love.