Miracles of Modern Science - Mean Dreams (2015)

Mandolin and a double-basses don’t really scream pop music in 2015, an era in which processed drum loops and “bass drops” are ubiquitous. Over the years, Brooklyn’s Miracles Of Modern Science have played against this norm with their debut record Dog Years, 2013’s MEEMS EP, and YouTube covers of Carly Rae Jepsen. They’ve been making a noble effort, but the Princeton grads are continually met with the same question: can string-led pop music really survive?

With a mission to create a sound that would appeal to their younger selves, the band recently recorded 10 tracks utilizing symphony hall instruments to create arena rock energy. The result is the band’s sophomore album, Mean Dreams, due out August 14th. The songs on the record find the band confronting all the self-doubt about their place in the world with wry strength, as demonstrated on lead single “Follow Your Heart (Or Something)”.

“It’s an anthem with an asterisk,” explains frontman Evan Younger. “We had written this rah-rah chorus, but we weren’t connecting with any of the uplifting lyrics that seemed to match it. We embraced the dilemma by letting the backup vocals carry the optimism while the leads second-guess them.”

The accompanying video features the group jogging through Brooklyn with a GoPro, picking up band members along the way. Violinist Kieran Ledwidge is seen busking on the street before dropping his pants to reveal running gear. Likewise, cellist Geoff McDonald leaves his dog with people on the street to join in on the exercise, which culminates in an apartment jam session with their drummer in a horse mask. “It’s really just an excuse to show off our legs,” said mandolin player Josh Hirshfeld. It’s all the right amounts of inspirational and sarcastic, just like the song itself.