There is only one thing in my working day greater than having a debut track land in the review pile, and that is when such an opening number is from people who have already proved their musical prowess in previous bands. And so it is with MUTE TV’s “Drag Me Down,” this first sonic step is that rare thing, new music to wrap my ears around, a new band to explore, and all wrapped in a seal of approval based on past achievements.
“Drag Me Down” is big and infectious, a searing salvo of scorched-earth, post-punk guitars and pummelling alt-rock drive, hard rock at its hardest, a majestic explosion of groove and grit.
And what stands head and shoulders above the competition is its rawness and real-world feel. It is quite common for bands to lose a bit of their “edge” when they go into the studio; after all, the live stage and the studio setting are very different places with very different goals. “Drag Me Down” seems not to compromise at all in the recording, and the band’s jagged and juicy sound is on full display throughout. (One thought, what if this is their studio sound and live, MUTE TV is even more incendiary, even more visceral than this…would gigs need to come with a Government Health Warning!)
First singles are like the opening lines of a book; they should set not just the scene but the tone, too. They fire up our expectations, make us want to know more. In those terms, “Drag Me Down” feels like the start of a classic read!
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