The Muse Machine - Artist Overview

Hear The Track Here

Over the 14 or so years I have been reviewing unsigned independent internet musicians I have, obviously, come across a great many artist names. Now we are all too aware of just how important a good bandname is and spend hours coming up with snappy, ironic names. And then there are people like me who don't give a **** who just call themselves by their real names. And then there are people who use the ￡ee7 method, more commonly know to most of us as wtf. These, to my mind, are the wordy versions of the Hounds From Hell. You have no idea how irritating it can get when you have to type out a bandname like - just as an example - LeO IcON9 ByTE19 twenty times in a review AND get all the cApS sTuFf in the right place.

LeO IcON9 ByTE19, you ask, wtf would call themselves that?

Well, The Muse Machine, as it happens. When I saw that they had come up with a proper bandname, I fell to the ground and gave thanks to a merciful God. Not so merciful however that He didn't put at least one boulder in my path. Through a mix up I ended up with TWO tracks from this band this month but hey, they were nice enough to change their name.... What You Mean To Me is the track I was asked to review initially and I was definitely interested when I read a comment from Sound Radius calling this track 'very emotional' and from that artist it counts as an accolade worthy of mention. It turns out that its a real pretty acoustic pop song and a (gulp) ballad. However, even with their old bandname they proved that they are worthy musicians and songwriters and What You Mean To Me is a wonderful example of what they can do. A perfect pop song about being a father, which is probably why I like it so much being one myself.

As She Leaves is much what I would expect from these guys, a nicely put together slice of hot buttered soul but not, unfortunately, without its problems. Not quite sure how this is recorded and rendered but it seem to me that the overall sound on this track is well low, on the vocals especially and seeing as they are an essential part of this track, this is a major weakness. Its actually a track that I find highly reminiscent of the inimitable Biill Withers, and with much the same feel and tone too. If I had to pick a favourite of of these two very different tracks, it would have to be What You Mean To Me (even though it is a ballad) because it is so well put together. Remember, chums, less is always more. New name, same excellent standard. Definite up and comers.

Highly Recommended Pop AND soul. Yay, double top!