Greetings, loved ones. Here’s your Gr8 Unknown of the week, Methyl Ethel. Let’s get to it.
First, let me tell you a little story. Think back to the winter of this year, to those shining days of warm weather, global warming and darties. That is when I discovered Methyl Ethel. This discovery is perhaps a bit curious — many events led up to it, starting with a few Hamm’s, a spontaneous home ear piercing and rowdiness on good ole’ Mendota Court.
What can be any better than hanging out in a backyard on Lake Mendota? The answer is walking straight into a house connected to said backyard, where you haven’t been invited, into a room full of people you don’t know and yet somehow, you end up stumbling upon a new group of friends who’ve accepted your forced presence and have the kindness to share some incredible music.
This incredible music, is indeed, Methyl Ethel. These guys are a trio from Australia who embody sounds of dream pop/psych-rock. They formed in 2013 and just released another album March of this year, called Everything is Forgotten.
“Twilight Driving” is the first song I heard, and though the Hamm’s was getting to me, I knew it was something good. What captured my attention was the vocalist Jake Webb’s voice. It’s almost indescribable, unlike anything I’ve heard before. The rhythm coming from the combination of the guitar and drums is also infectious, especially in the chorus sections.
Here’s a live version to feed your musical tastebuds:
The next song nearly sent my heart out of my chest — “Idée Fixe.” It starts off so dreamy, so gentle and serene; the words are sweet, such as “You called out to the summer soil” and “I climbed up two dozen roses.” And then it hits you.
The rest of the instruments come in, the most notable being the base. Again, the rhythm plays a big part in this song. The song tends to abruptly stop and then kind of suck back in, done so by the bass and the drums together. Then it just ends, leaving listeners with a yearning for more, which reflects the tone of the song itself.
Methyl Ethel, with a name as interesting as their music, is definitely worth a listen. The music is emotional, rhythmic and different.
