By Gote McDonald
I've seen Mechero perform twice. First time was at a Secret On 4th show last year and the second time was a few weeks ago at launchpad when they timed the drop of their EP to come out as they were performing. I didn't hear much about them between the first show and the last, so I'd almost forgotten about them, but this time their set left quite an impression on me, taking full advantage of Launchpad's stage & utilizing every square foot including the balcony. Nico & Primo have clearly thought through every detail to form Mechero: a fiery & cohesive work of art.
“Kerosene” is a dramatic opener setting the stage for the wide landscape of sounds and ideas that follow. “Sweet n Low” and “Light Me Up” have been out as a sort of two sided single since July and they both slap still.
Every song starts with a minimal but powerful riff, each way different from the last, which keeps this thing feeling fresh listen after listen. The amount of ideas packed in this thing could easily fill an hour but they have this work refined down into fifteen minutes of pure gold.
“Fuego” is a track involving one of those mid-song beat/mood changes towards the last third of it, ending this thing just as dramatically as it started, without ever recycling a tune, a thought, or an idea. I'm blown away by this young duo's musicianship and seeing them perform is equally as stunning for a couple of artists who appear to just be starting their journey.
