MIHI NIHIL: MIHI NIHIL

The self titled debut album by MIHI NIHIL is out in its entirety through the artist owned Flora Toro Records, after having been introduced by a few swell singles all of which showcased essential parts of the band's range. At heart, MIHI NIHIL seems to be working in practical terms like a compilation of contrasting styles. The band's enveloping zest is consistently around though, piecing it all together with utmost cohesion.

As singles Vertigo, I Eat You and Falling Star put on the band's proneness to post punk, straightforward garage punk and soul rock methods respectively, the rest of the album feels mainly anchored in a traditional Americana basis which often leans toward darker territories, like in the case of the desert rock opener, Gold, and other times emphasizes on guitar-laden alternative rock from the nineties, such as the rather hearty, Be There.

MIHI NIHIL's debut isn't without its share of experimentation though, like the mood effectuated in the indie quirkiness and the dreamy electronics of Space Invader, a prime piece of expressive, atmospheric indietronica. On the other hand, Verberation equalizes the exploratory impulses written in its cinematic marrow with a more traditional drift, resulting in something which harnesses the best of both worlds.

Adam Lasus (Yo La Tengo, Helium, Madder Rose), who helms the album's production, is another reason for MIHI NIHIL being practically linked to nineties' indie rock, as well as a stable factor for the record's exquisitely sharp from end to end sound.

Right before the LP's conclusion MIHI NIHIL pay tribute to their hometown of Los Angeles. On Who Do You Think You Are? they appear both loving and critical of the great city's ways, and come out ardent as usual. The album is being brought to a sentimental end with Ticking Clocks, a piece about "mental health, memories and loss," on which the band show their mainstream pop susceptibility through the track's dense structure and its generally easy on the ears air.

It's fairly easy to come up with comparisons to what MIHI NIHIL sound like, and to parallel their songwriting to acts that come from both the underground and the more popular facets of rock music's history, and that isn't on the grounds of the band following tropes all that closely, but it happens mainly because of their good perception of the popular music universe. Although the band derive from the great underground, they also seem ready to enchant different kinds of audiences, more centrist ones, and while their debut album doesn't restyle anything, it is apparent that it comes from a place of practiced musicianship, and deserves considerable listening attention.

MIHI NIHIL are Mihi Vox (vocal), Benjamin Montoya (guitar), Nick Steinberg (bass) and Adam Alt (drums).