Mystery Lights

Mystery Lights

Toe-curling is the most specific adjective I can find for singer Mike Brandon’s voice. Look to tracks “Without Me” and “What Happens When You Turn the Devil Down” for a sound that will leave your feet in a death grip. The howls this man can produce are wolf-like. 

And of course, the accompanying band/wolf pack provide a swath of musical backgrounds. Hints of influence from bands such as The Doors can be behind anytime Kevin Harris fires off another keyboard riff. 

Check “Follow Me Home” if you’re craving an escape from sobriety; the sound waves of the keys will surely lead to tripping. Mystery Light’s musical decision to feature an instrumental as their opening track is unique too. In fact, it is not until 20 seconds into track two (Follow Me Home) that any vocals can first be heard. 

Fusion is king however, and not just between instrument and vocal chords. The back-up voices filling out the chorus of “Too Many Girls” are near anachronistic: something unseen since our grandparents’ music era. But again, fusion is king, fusion is fantastic, and Mystery Lights deserves praise for their creative mixtures.

At times the sounds feel Black Keys-eque, the tone reminiscent of Jack White, but I doubt either could pull off these tunes with the type of charm the band carries i.e.: the ability to be both genuinely serious and immature from track to track. 

For example, note the change in tone from track 4, “Too Many Girls” to track 5, “Without Me” for a concrete example. Keep your eyes on this band ladies and gentlemen, this may be an early opportunity for all you hipster readers to genuinely be on board with a band before they conquer Indie Rock. 

-Omri Golden

Published in Volume 71, Number 4 of The Uniter (September 29, 2016)

Related Reads