- Hurts To Laugh is the new EP by rockers Methyl Ethyl, who have gifted us with three whole studio albums to date; the last one, Triage only being released back in February of 2019. Hurts To Laugh was recorded at the same as Triage so, maybe the enforced tour cancellation and time alone has brought upon us this release.
The five piece from Western Australia have been prominent on our airwaves since 2013 when they debuted their EP Guts, causing the ears of alternative '80s and '90s kids to prick up and listen. With their unique, somewhat androgynous sound coming mostly from the restless mind of multi-instrumentalist and front man Jake Webb, Hurts To Laugh stays true to what we have come to know from Methyl Ethyl: it provides a certain comfort in these currently quite uncertain time yet delves into the yin and yang that is life, sharing joy and pain.
The opening track and debut single Majestic AF is synth heavy, with a build up of looping drums and bass, paired with Jake’s melodic vocals and really rather stressed-out lyrics, wallowing in "A bottomless sty of worry". The track's backing vocal overlay provides greater depth to the '80's synth sound, giving it a paradoxically smooth yet chaotic build up that powers through to the end.
Track two, Honest is powerful, even manic, in its concerted plea for understanding of the human condition, expressed through lyrics of deep heartache. The vocals flow from soft to bellowing with sheer emotion. The keyboard is a stand out in this track and the drums and guitar are matched perfectly to provide that paradoxical pain vs joy expressiveness, melodic flow Methyl Ethyl have carved out so well.
Charm Offensive is something of a dark pop track with the sound largely coming from the keyboards. This reminds me, not so much of other songs, but actually screen themes: some old time '90’s classics like the short cartoon series The Trap Door, the TV show The Addams Family and the 1988 cult hit Beetlejuice: spooky goodness. It put a smile on the face of this lover of the weird and wonderful.
What Found Memory opens with an orchestral, theatre vibe rolling into smoothly calming beats, setting a scene of sunshine through a rainforest, post-storm, once again adding to the prominent paradox this EP displays of pain paired with joy. The vocals in this track are more chilled yet still convey that deep emotive yearning I’ve come to love from this band.
The Quicker begins with sharp, thriller movie keyboard sounds reminiscent of the opening track, Golden Archers from Mosman Alder’s album Humdrum Star. The vocals are woven in fluidly between the fast rhythm guitar, prominent bass and subtle drums. The titular Hurts To Laugh takes you on an instrumental journey of dark, electropop balanced with deep, emotive vocals and spooky, synthesized beats.
Methyl Ethyl are great at painting a detailed picture in just a small snatch of time: all the songs on this EP clock in around a poppy three-minutes-thirty. They are so quick to end after striking out so boldly on their journeys; my only complaint is that it makes me miss them. That they consistently manage a philosophical take on the contrast of pain and joy, in such brief statements, is much to Jake and his band's credit. The continuity and flow is always spot on with this outfit: Methyl Ethel just know how to deliver quality music with depth and story in a thoroughly economic package.
- Hayley Deller.