Mansionair's debut album "Shadowboxer" is defiantly worth the wait
With several singles under their belt and a decent setlist already taking place at their live shows, it was a wonder how this band - who released their first track on Soundcloud back in 2014 - has not got round to releasing an album. Five years later and a fair few solid tracks later too and the Australian outfit have dropped their LONG awaited debut LP with an astonishing 16 tracks, with loads of new cuts in it too.
The first few tracks here welcome you in with pulsating electronic beats like the ones in "Alibi" which has a sense of urgency with it, I guess wanting you to get right into the thick of things. Another highlight on the LP is "Technicolour" which screams 'Indie anthem' in the waiting with scorching guitar tones which wouldn't sound out of place in a Foals track.
"Astronaut (Something About Your Love)" is yet another one of those tracks I can see being played a lot at club-nights and screams remix all over it, with some incredibly dance friendly choruses and slow jam breakdowns with sublime guitar tones, it's no wonder why this track is one of their most played on Spotify. After that instantly comes "Violet City" - which I'd imagine you've heard before and once again sounds like a track for their live shows as it's layered with melodies, guitar and whirls of electronic sounds, an absolute gem hidden in the middle of the album.
Another absolute belter is "We Could Leave" which is far from their early sound and shows what the band has transformed into with more experimental sounds with steel drums and driving basslines. The album at this point does start to sound the same, but for me I like that an artist isn't getting too carried away by taking their sound beyond on their debut album as this should really be a introduction not a experimental offering.
12 tracks in and we have "Sierra" which is a gentle interlude into the latter quarter of the album that signifies a change of pace somewhat with "Harlem" having an intro that sounds like it's lifted from an early Coldplay track, and it expands on tracks before it with some steel drums once again and tribal drums in there for good measure. "I Won't Take No For An Answer" is the most experimental the outfit gets here, with James Blake influences clear to see here, but the end of the album finishes on a real high with argualbly one of the band's most interesting song on the LP, with some tropical vibes laced over it here, it sounds like a proper album closer as once it's finished you're left amazed.
In conclusion, it's been a very long wait for me, but now the 16 track LP is in my life I am grateful I waited as it's fast becoming one of my favourite albums of the past 5 years. Clearly taking your time does pay off.
Mansionair - Shadowboxer
Out of 10: 8.5/10