Coldplay vibrancy, Keane-esque melodies, and stadium-sized production coalesce into something truly memorable on Red Skies Mourning’s latest studio album Myosotis. A delightful set of memorable and sweet melodies, capable songwriting, and gorgeous production make Myosotis a thoroughly enjoyable listen from start to finish.
Baltimore-based Trio Red Skies Mourning is spearheaded by singer and songwriter Chris Aleshire, joined by songwriter and composer Ryan Curtis, and joined by CESAR on production and electronics duty. The trio have a sound that is very engaging, particularly the pop-centered production sound that make all the songs feel immediate, present, and fresh, and with melodies and songs that are solidly crafted and beautifully performed, everything seems to be pointing towards a landmark pop release for the latter half of 2024.
With a runtime of 46 minutes spanning 15 songs, Myosotis showcases its ideas quickly and rather curtly, with all the songs running roughly for 3 minutes. This makes the songs on Myosotis easy on the senses, not taking long to build up and making without lengthy or nuanced introduction. This formula, risking creating songs that are shallow and easy to forget, is masterfully handled by Aleshire and co, through songs that are almost always distinct in one or another. Each song has a defining element that sets it apart from all the others on the album, guaranteeing that once a song hits, it will be remembered and not easily replaced by any of its peers.
With that being said, Myosotis does not veer too far off a specific mood that is first showcased on the starter ‘Already Know’. The songs, written from Aleshire’s perspective on life events and relationships, are almost all purely pop focused, with medium tempos, compressed and neon-lit production techniques, minor key progressions, and melancholy-laced vocal melodies. Myosotis can be looked at as one of those mini gelato boxes that have 15 uniformly sized and shaped gelatos, all in different flavors. In a way, Myosotis fully evades feeling repetitive, while maintaining a lot of uniformity, cohesion, and borderline-monotony to the format of its songs, and this all feels really appealing to my pattern-seeking brain.
Among the album’s standout songs are definitely its first and second. ‘Already Know’ starts the album with one of its tightest grooves and best written vocal parts, introducing an electrified pop vibe, and setting the tone for a voice-fronted pop listen. ‘Already Know’ could have easily passed as a Coldplay outtake from the band hyper-colorful Mylo Xyloto era. A terrific intro, and ‘Borderline’ builds upon it, introducing a moodier, less dynamic sound, more akin to The Weeknd’s intoxicating vaporwave. ‘Obvious’ also stands out with an off putting, super processed synth sound at the song’s introduction that then gets beautifully utilized on one of the album’s most melancholic offerings.
‘Way Up’ is one of the album’s moodiest, catchiest, and most electrifying cuts. A true pop gem, ‘Way Up’ features engaging vocals, glistening production, and an infectious pace to its groove. ‘Call It a Day’ features one of the album’s jingliest rhythm parts alongside a glittery and modal composition that make the song easily stand out. The harmonic rhythm is also quite novel and the vocal arrangement on the song is stellar. One of the album’s most intricately written songs for sure. ‘Mirror’ features a starry-eyed synth arrangement that establishes a pillowy and soft mood, not found anywhere else on the album, and with some superbly written vocal melodies, it is one more immediately catchy song on Myosotis.
Drawing likeness from Coldplay, Keane, The Weeknd, and Bear’s Den, along many others, it is easy to say that Red Skies Mourning Myosotis is quite varied listen that sounds distinct through its dazzling array of influences. Gorgeously written and produced, Myosotis is an extremely enjoyable pop album that left us fully ready for more music from Chris Aleshire and co.