Mellonova

Admittedly, Mellonova are covering familiar sonic territory with their effects-laden, dreamy guitar pop. The Verve and Spiritualized will immediately come to mind and more locally, bands like SIANspheric and the now-defunct Southpacific have also put their foots to the pedal rack to try and create the ultimate sound collage. What sets Mellonova apart is the fact that a real effort is being made to create memorable songs. It's one thing to master the fine art of creating the dreamy sound, it's another to wrap this skill around a tune you might actually remember when you wake up. In particular, "Maintain Your Happiness" represents exactly how Mellonova have accomplished this. Originally friends in Whistler, BC, the guys cut their teeth in London, England, where they attracted some interest under their previous moniker, 100 Moments. Moving back to Canada and settling in Toronto, the guys adopted the new name and released the Hydromantic EP in early 1999. With this latest EP, Mellonova are raising the bar for this particular brand of guitar-pop. Excellent from start to finish, my only complaint is that there are only five songs to enjoy. Keep your fingers crossed for a full-length release in the future, but don't wait until then - pick up this EP and join those, like me, who are waiting for more.