Inme- A lot has Changed over the years

The UK based band Inme, lead by front man Dave McPherson, have been a band that i have listened to again and again over the last 6 years or so. Having said that, I've have only today realized that I am a little bit behind the time as, with out me noticing, they have released a new album and they appear to have gone from a 3 piece act to a 4 piece and then back again to 3 piece in the time that i haven't been paying attention! Most people reading this will be thinking that this is old news, as their latest album "Herald Moth" was released in September 2009 and I'm sure that the line up changes was no secret to anyone that has been following the band. The band also has a significance to me personally, as they were the first major band i went to see live. I saw them when i was 14/15 in Oxford at, what was then known as, The Zodiac. So I am not going to talk loads about the new album as I have only heard a few tracks off of it, instead I am going to talk about the 3 albums that I do have (Overgrown Eden, White Butterfly, Daydream Anonymous) and how their sound has changed across those three albums.

The Sound- Overgrown Eden

Inme are quite a diverse rock rock band, and they certainly have a sound that is very distinguishable as Inme. But even between albums you can hear how the band are still trying to change and evolve their sound to greater horizons. Overgrown Eden was Inme's first album, and my personal favourite. I have always loved the dirty, unpolished sound that is used in the tracks on this album. After releasing this album, Inme were labeled by some as 'emo', and they might well have a reasonable case when you listen closely to McPherson's lyrics, particularly in tracks such as "Wounds" and "Her Mask" where lyrics like "i am bleeding eternally for you" probably didn't go down well with the critics. But i think that the music far and away makes up for any dramatic lyrics. The riffs in this album are so hard hitting that it would be hard to argue with them. Listening to "Mosaic" the high tempo riff coupled with the dirty and raw distorted guitar give the track a very violent and aggressive feel, which is a sound that is uncommon in most emo songs. It could just be me, but i think that it some of the tracks there could be an element of sexuality in the lyrics, certainly the name "Inme" suggests it. I won't quote, but listening to the lyrics of "Natural" and "Underdose" you could argue that there is a strong element of sexuality in there. But i suppose that is open to interpretation! In my opinion this album is excellent and very different from anything else that was coming out at the time. It is well worth listening to.

White Butterfly

If I'm honest, the first time i listened to this album I was disappointed. This album has more of a pop-rock feel to it. I think that maybe the band were trying to go in a more commercial direction, I'm not too sure, but when I first listened to it I really missed the raw sound that Overgrown Eden had. However, as I listen to the album again, and get used to the sound. I find myself liking it for what it is, and not comparing it to what they have released before. It is still easily definable as Inme, McPherson's voice is almost unmistakable, but the sound, and the riffs have a very different feel. This is not necessarily a bad thing as many bands with try to change their sound between albums, either to avoid becoming repetitive or because the record company wants to take the band in a new direction. The guitar has a cleaner, edgier sound to it, which works really well in tracks like "7 Weeks" which opens with the main guitar riff. The guitar sound works well in this track because it is sharp and fast, which immediately sets an energetic feel to the track. This album also has a few tracks on it that a slightly more commercial. The best example of this would be the single "So You Know" which has a very pop-rocky and commercial sounding chorus. I actually really like the drum sound for this song, it sounds like it was recording to a click so its very tight and drum have a really nice, controlled rock sound to them which works really well on the track and across the album. There are also much more use of vocal harmonies in this album which is a really nice touch, again very pop-rocky, but noe the less it sounds realy good. So listening to it in context, it could easily be said that this album is an improvement on the first, I personally still prefer Overgrown Eden, but thats just my personal taste. White Garden is a great second album so if you are a fan of the band it is worth getting.

Daydream Anonymous

I can remember buying this album a few years ago when it first came out, and being very quickly hooked on it. Again, like the first to albums, "Daydream Anonymous" is easily recognizable as Inme, but having its own qualities and personality. The very first thing I remember thinking when I first listened to this album is that it is a very polished album. Unlike "Overgrown Eden", every not on the guitar is clear and cutting so that the listener can hear exactly what is going on. Tracks like "In Loving Memory" and "Myths and Photographs" both have really nice guitar riffs that use complicated fingering patterns so it is really important that the guitar is clear so that the listener can appreciate the track. I really like this album because, to me, it sounds exactly how modern rock bands should like. There are some really good guitar riffs which build up to some nice chorus's which have been well layered to give the track a heavy, rock feeling chorus. It is clear that a lot of work has gone into the writing, recording and production of this album. The guitar sounds, bass sounds and drum sounds have all been carefully recorded and then polished to perfection making a really nice sounding rock album. I think that even if you were not a fan of the band, you could still respect the craftsmanship and effort that has gone in to making this album. It is well worth listening to.

Herald Moth

I am not going to write much about this album, as i have not yet brought it and only herd a few track off of it. The impression I get is that the band are trying to go in a different direction again. From what I have herd it sounds like a really good album and well worth buying, its next on my list of things to do! When i do get around to buying it, ill post a proper review of it and try to do it full justice!

Thank you all for reading, if you are already a fan of the band and agree/disagree with anything I'm saying, or wish to correct me, then please leave a comment. If you haven't listening to the group before then I would recommend buying any of these albums. I am going to leave you with a relatively recent single of theirs, "I Won't Let Go".

Cheers