By: Mumrunner | facebook | twitter | bandcamp |
Tampere, Finland’s dreamgazers, Mumrunner, remind me a bit of DIIV, but only in passing. Perhaps it is the gauzy layers of guitar gently caressing your ears, or the slightly hushed vocals. Given that, you could also imagine a cadre of other dream pop groups mining the same musical territory.
It is hard to stand out in a crowded field, but this Finnish group does with bright, cheerful songs and memorable melodies. This second EP’s opener “Sputnik” is imbued with all these qualities, and its calm beauty surrounds you with shimmering waves of sound. “Shawshank” has a deceptively simple melodic structure, but the somewhat subdued guitars create tension and the results are cool.
There is a glistening psych inflected guitar overlay that really makes this song a standout, as does the feedback drenched coda. “Cascais” is my favorite tune here, a song I’ve playlisted on my show and one that calls me back for repeated listens. I love its driving tempo and male/female vocals. The song’s main hook sucks you in, and never lets go.
“Turn” is a trippy instrumental, and doesn’t hang around long enough to enrapture you. The title track closes out this EP, and it’s grand and massive sounding, shot through with lovely, lilting guitar and bright, sparkly vocals. In short, this is a pleasing and really pretty release from this up and coming Finnish group.
