We Collide

What does a band make during the period which passed since the last single release in 2003? Well, maybe they took a break, did a side project or simply produced a new album? The latter happened as Mesh are back with 'We Collide' which sounds a little bit different but still typically Mesh. Already the first single 'Crash' forebode in which direction the British trio from Bristol was going to aim for with 'We Collide'. For 'We Collide' Mesh made use of authentic drums and electric guitars, however the electronic sounds still dominate. With their last albums, Mesh have shown that beautiful melodies and catchy refrains are a matter of course. But on 'We Collide' Mesh have capped it all off and released an absolutely ingenious album. One poppy track is hunting the other and every track convinces with a catchy refrain. Many fans will say that Mesh are aimed too much at mainstream. Well, I say that Mesh only wanted to make really good music that amuses every listener. Even if the songs are very catchy, Mesh did not abdicate creativity and still retain their ambitions of being alternative enough. 'We Collide' also convinces with a good mixture of mid- to fast-speed tracks and some wonderful ballads; Mesh reigns supreme in all categories. This album includes eleven excellent tracks which result in an absolutely harmonious album. My favourite is 'This Is What You Wanted' as rocking guitar riffs and heavy drums hunt the melodies and cast the refrain like a pearl. For this reason this album counts as one of the absolute highlights of this year and is a must for everyone who is interested in peppy Pop with alternative roots. Mesh has released a limited edition for the German audience which comes with an additional DVD which includes the Making Of 'We Collide', three videos and five demo versions of album tracks. The comparison of the demos with the album tracks shows that Gareth Jones who also produced Depeche Mode, Erasure, etc brought out the best in the demos.