Album Review: Replica

When it comes to bands having quality pedigree, Lyttelton based MEDaL are the equivalent of a top quality show cat.

Dave Mulcahy (JPSE, Superette), with Mark Whyte and John Billows who have been in bands like Into The Void and The Renderers, among others.

This three-piece makes a hell of a racket, and you can hear the fun coming through the speakers. Mulcahy is really embracing his noisier side.

The opening track Wanna Feel Good sets a blistering tempo and reminds me of other Dave Mulcahy bands from the 1990’s and 2000’s, but blended with The Datsuns. It’s a riff-driven kick-start to the album with a well-weighted steel-cap boot.

The second track Ghosts slows it down a bit, albeit not that much, before the electrically charged The Lightning One blasts like a bolt of lightning hitting a tree and spitting it down the middle leaving charred remains.

When compared with the rest of the songs on Replica, I.M.L is a poppy number bouncing along well with four on the floor drums and a keyboard melody starting the tune. Mulcahy’s voice sits on the top of the mix really well, making me think this is a single, aiming for a cross-over market. The synths sound like they’re being produced by a vintage Yamaha Dx7.

Ursa Minor begins gradually and builds, like all great drone, or the ethnically dodgy term ‘Kraut rock’ at its best crawling through to 6 minutes long after an ambient beginning.

Bright Shining Lie is another builder, from spaced out sounds (thanks Jacinda) which remind me of some of the early sounds in Bladerunner when the large craft are flying about the large product placement electronic bill boards. The song grows, builds and develops in a naturally cinematic way.

Transcendence is another of the tunes on Replica which builds beautifully.

Book of Scrolls is a blinder I don’t think I’ve ever heard Dave Mulcahy play this fast or furiously it’s a quickstep in 2/4 time at a frantic pace, this song will be epic live.

The last track Death Car is a rock and roll anthem, and actually reminds me of Ministry around their Psalm 69 period. It is a great way to close the album, as it makes you want to go back to the start again.

Well played team, you deserve a MEDaL. (I’ll go to my room for that atrocious line).