This time of year, it’s always nice to have Australian bands kicking around to remind us that even as we’re piled under freezing snow, there are people in the Earth’s lower half living up the summer season in all of its sun-kissed glory. The debut full-length album from Aussie dance-rock outfit Mitzi, Truly Alive, is exactly this kind of record—bright, groovy and utterly filled to the brim with hooks. At the same time, it’s got some exceedingly clever moments and demonstrates a maturity most bands take several albums to achieve. All told, Truly Alive is the best kind of debut, with a great deal of both artistic quality and outward enjoyment to offer, and it will bring some much-needed Southern hemisphere warmth to these still-wintery months.
The style Mitzi has chosen to adopt can best be described as a mix between LCD Soundsystem and the group’s fellow countrymen Cut Copy—it’s got the starry-eyed beach vibe of the latter, but aesthetically Mitzi’s music is a bit more straightforward, focusing primarily on how to lay into a groove with typical guitar-based instrumentation. Production-wise, Mitzi has opted for a rather unembellished style—rather than drowning their hooks in layers of reverb, Mitzi urges you to hear the space between each track, and how each instrument interacts and syncopates with the others around it.
What this allows you to take in, most of the time, is the undeniable skill with which the members of Mitzi play their instruments. The guitars, when utilized, scuttle around the mix with a nimble treble bounce, while the synthesizers and keyboards fit wonderfully into either lead or supporting roles. The drums, which smartly stay centered on a four-on-the-floor dance vibe, sound crisp and tightly wound throughout Truly Alive’s entirety. But it is Mitzi’s bassist who deserves the most acclaim—the guy just grooves, and his deliciously catchy parts give substance to tracks that might otherwise fall somewhat flat like “Can’t Change Her”.
Combine these elements into a cohesive package and you’re in for a solid set of danceable tracks, just gleaming with foot-tapping energy. “Who Will Love You Now” is a great opener, with a subtle but effective chorus that sets up the vibe of the album masterfully. “All I Heard” is probably the most straightforward pop effort on here, with a lively, well-constructed drum track and possibly the best vocal performance on the record. The mid-tempo, surprisingly bittersweet “Modern Life” slows things down effectively, with a charming string and horn sample and some beautiful keyboard trills. But the penultimate track “Down” is probably the best song on the album, combining all of Mitzi’s best elements (a catchy hook, clever synth track, tightly-wound dance beat and a meaty bass riff) into a late-album climax that’s the most sublime moment on the album.
As all this suggests, Mitzi does a lot of things well. However, Truly Alive isn’t without its inconsistencies, most of which fall on the part of the lead singer, Dominique Bird. His voice, though inoffensive, fails to ever sound spectacular, and his vocal lines are generally on the simple or repetitive side. Furthermore, the lyrics he spouts rarely, if at all, venture into the profound, with the opening of “On My Mind” standing out as especially weak: “I would like to tell you something that’s on my mind / I’ve been searching all over but I can’t find.” Again, it’s rare that Bird ever does anything truly egregious and the hooks are generally there, but it’s unlikely you’ll hear any of Bird’s work covered on “The Voice” any time soon.
Furthermore, the record’s sequencing seems somewhat off—though it begins with a solid opener, the following pair of tracks are two of the album’s slowest (and weakest). This makes the second half of the record exceedingly solid, but it takes a touch too long for Truly Alive to regain its momentum after that initial hump.
In spite of these weaknesses this is a great record, and the fact that Mitzi is still a relatively young band makes Truly Alive all the more impressive. On the surface, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable record with hooks enough to act as the perfect soundtrack to any Friday night. Listen to these songs closely, though, and you’ll see that the record also boasts a significant amount of staying power. The perfect record to bring some sunlight to these snowy days, Truly Alive is a fantastic down-under debut from a band with both glimmering pop appeal and endless promise.
