So many bands filter in and out of the music scene, that it can have a kind of numbing effect on listeners. Ending up disheartened is easy as yet another and another vapid, uninspiring band struts around with its eyes on something else besides the music. Occasionally though, some random band you've never heard of cuts through all the static and reminds you why you count music as a second pulse in the first place. Mélee is one of those bands.

There's a purity and lack of pretentiousness in their sound that makes Devils & Angels  feel like someone opened a window in a very small and stuffy house.  The album starts off with Built to Last, a song about a guy who knows that he's got it good with the girl. It's the very musical definition of Mélee, showcasing their penchant for piano and lead singer Chris Cron's Beach Boys-like vocal clarity.  In reality, those are probably the best features of the band. Cron sings without strange affectations and always sounds sincere. He's truly refreshing to listen to and he's got the strength to hit the highs and lows with jealousy-inducing ease.

As far as the piano, these days it can get neglected or squandered in the arena of pop rock (drawing exception for Keane), but rather than being used as a supporting player, the piano is an integral part of what makes their sound identifiable and engaging.

Mélee is best on the upbeat tracks mostly because they're loaded with energy.  Whether it’s Frequently Baby (She's a Teenage Maniac), a spirited song about a hard-to-get girl, or Biggest Mistake, chronicling a lapse in judgment while in New York, they sound indefatigable. The album drips with youth.

On the more low key side, there's She's Gonna Find Me Here, a song about having some faith that there's someone out there and if it's meant to be, it'll happen regardless of how well dressed you are or how often you frequent the laundry mat. “I don't have to put on all my best clothes, and I don't have to put on a show. Now I don't have to act like a total stranger 'cause she's gonna find me here.”  In all honesty, the song leans a bit toward sappy at times, but it's light enough sap to be forgivable. Plus, these guys keep it moving, never dwelling too long in the land of the achy ballad. Pretty soon the energy has returned and they’re back to the bounce.

Lyrics wise, Mélee is satisfactory with the periodic slick line - points for a  Mitch Ryder reference - in much the same way that they won’t bowl you over with any guitar solo, but they do what they do with proficiency.
  
On the whole, Devils & Angels make for an enjoyable listen, one that while mixing a zest for life with the compulsory uncertainties of being in your early twenties, ultimately leaves you with a smile on your face and the impulse to hit "play" all over again.

Release date: 28/07/08
Artist website: www.meleerocks.com
Record label: Warner Brothers

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