N.Y.C.’s MNDR serves up a rough-cut gem with its first full-length, Feed Me Diamonds. Comprised of duo Amanda Warner and Peter Wade, the band’s ’80s-inspired, electro sound doesn’t go down as easily as straight-up pop music because the beats and synths are unrefined, raw, and gritty. Werner often wavers between hitting and not hitting her notes, which adds tension to the already deliciously strained music. The single “#1 in Heaven” is the first track on the album, but it’s by no means the only draw. The satisfying “Fall in Love with the Enemy” serves as the record’s pinnacle; it’s strong, sultry, and controversial with a simple message. The album is full of party-ready jams, including (but not limited to) the sweet plea “Stay,” the rave-worthy “Faster Horses,” and the ultra-sexy “Bombs Away.” There’s lots of sexiness here, and who doesn’t love sexy?
By Whitney Dwire
MNDR | Feed Me Diamonds, $9.99, mndr.com
This review appears in the Aug/Sept 2012 issue of BUST Magazine with cover girl Tavi Gevinson. Subscribe now.
