My Glorious: Minefield

One of three EPs to see the light of day in the United States before this Austrian group releases its full-length debut in early 2012, Minefield isn’t all that bad of an introduction to a band that’s been called “Coldplay with balls”. The rollicking opening track isn’t much more than some good riffs and a chorus repeated ad infinitum, but such is pop music. The jackhammer guitars and percussion of “Give Me Time” recalls post-Ten Pearl Jam, replete with snarling six-string lines and a malevolent sense of menace lurking just before the bridge and chorus deliver sunshine and promise. The closing number, “Blow Up The Sun” first seems like European pop-rock at its finest, a guaranteed hit with its big guitars, tantric verse-chorus play. Instead, the track evolves into something more imaginative, more akin to what one might find on a Porcupine Tree album, albeit with less purpose and know-how. As interesting as all of this may sound, it’s still hard to make the case that My Glorious is more than an average band with average songs and a less-than-average shot at capturing the heart of America.