Chapel Hill, North Carolina is a vibrant, student-dominated place which tends to throw up a superior type of bar band. The Mayflies USA are symptomatic of the approach whereby poured-out emotion is lashed to the template of raucous guitars. Recalling some of that Southern gothic, R.E.M. style, with producer Keith Cleversley (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Spiritualized) at the helm, Matt McMichaels’ boys live up to their album title on “Malaysia” and the hook-heavy “Written On Every Hour”. Fundamental rock music with no unnecessary frills.
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