Melody Nelson are a new band from London, whose rock music seems to be winning over not just the London audiences, but those in Europe, and they’ve even gained fans in Japan. With such a far reaching fan base, they must be hoping for good things from their forthcoming single release, the double a-side of ‘The Other Side’ and ‘Lost Again’.

‘The Other Side’ starts off with ethereal harmonies, and subtle drum beats, moving onto some interesting lyrics in the verses. The chorus seems quite laboured, and doesn’t really sparkle as a good rock anthem should. Also as the song lasts for just over 5 minutes, it’s repeated a few too many times for my liking. This is a track that’s heading in the direction of acts like Muse, but is getting lost along the way.

Melody Nelson do fare a bit better with their second song, ‘Lost Again’, which starts in a classic up-tempo punk/rock way. It’s catchy, and I can see it going down well at live gigs, although I’m not entirely convinced the vocals and music match up as well as they should. There’s also an instrumental part that isn’t so easy on the ear.

For me this is a band that has all the ingredients, they just need to work more on the recipe! If they are going to make a bigger impact, I think their playing needs to be more polished, the vocals stronger with a bit more depth, and they need to come up with songs that are shorter and more attention grabbing. A few good points, but the overall product needs some work.

The Other Side/Lost Again is released on October 12th, and will be available from I-Tunes, and on Vinyl in selected record stores. Visit www.myspace.com/melodynelsonuk for more information.