Millie Manders: Obsession Transgression

Artist: Millie Manders
Title: Obsession Transgression
Format Reviewed: MP3
Format Released: 20th November 2015
Reviewed By: Will Bright

It's a simple fact of life that trumpets make anything better. Especially when that something is DIY ska-pop-punk of the type produced by Millie Manders on her latest EP, Obsession Transgression. It's an eclectic, sometimes messy collection of tracks that mix second wave ska with a variety of punk influences, before shoving the whole thing into a Poppy Songwriter™ blender for a few minutes. 

The lead single, Bacchus, is a solid song, channeling second wave ska influences (there's more than a little Madness in those trumpet riffs) with a punkier, choppier rhythm than you'd find in a more straight ska song, and Millie's husky, old-school jazz singer tones adding an entire other dimension. The chorus, though, falls a little flat in comparison to the faster paced verses: it's here that the rhythm ends up more jarring, reaching a weird pace where it becomes discordant. There's something in the vocals as well which doesn't quite catch me the way it should, with the rhythm of the main vocal hook struggling under the weight of a few too many syllables. For my money, though, it's well worth checking out the version currently out on Spotify and YouTube with a guest verse by Harry 'Coins' Burnby: while it doesn't fix the chorus, it's a sick addition.

The standout track here is the title song, Obsession Transgression. Musically it's extremely sound: a fast-paced, fun ska song with a rhythm that can't help but be skanked along to. The half-time breakdown works perfectly, the chorus avoids Bacchus' pitfalls and keeps the energy going strong. It's certainly the track that best channels ska's famed happy-go-lucky vibe. The other side of ska is then explored in Teddy and Long Gone.

Both these tracks channel a darker, minor tone: Teddy's riffs blend second wave ska with '80s hardcore, mixing up that upbeat ska rhythm with something heavier that rocks a bit harder. It's a solid effort, and one that appeals more the more I listen to it, but there's little that sticks after. Long Gone picks up that same blend, but slows it down a little and takes its heaviness not from guitar riffs but single screeching notes pulsating along through the chorus. As with Bacchus, the result is at times jarring in comparison to the more chilled groove of the verse, and could be a more satisfying listen without that sense of discordance.

If there's one criticism that I've taken away from this EP, aside from the jarring moments that can only ever serve to take you out of a track entirely, it's that nothing really lasts longer after listening. The vocals are almost deliberately uncatchy, no bad thing in itself, but the guitar and trumpet riffs don't stick for me. Those should be where the hooks are coming from here, but I haven't found myself caught by any. There are things to like here, for sure, just not a lot to love.