The Idaho aural assassins, MYLO BYBEE, fired all the right melodic rock shots in their heaviest single to date, Master & Machine.
The angst-driven title single from their forthcoming LP traverses the scarcely-spoken-of-subject of how everything we do societally, personally, professionally, and artistically is impacted by someone else pulling the strings to spark deep contemplation on the issue of free will.
Even Sam Harris would have a field day with the exposition on how every good intent is blighted by societally parasitic phenomena, such as greed, corruption and misogyny. Master & Machine may hit hard, but after getting the ennui out of the way, the rest of the LP allows hope to permeate the bleakness of our current global landscape.
The collision between alt-rock and indie unravels with a rhythmic magnetism that fans of Death Cab for Cutie, Manchester Orchestra and Silversun Pickups will be organically drawn to. Reminiscences aside, there are no parallels to how Tyler Schlagenhauf melodically commands his vocal lines and contorts them into compassion-sharpened hooks.
Stream Master & Machine, released via ZMI Arcadia Recordings, on SoundCloud.
Review by Amelia Vandergast