Album Review: Miami Horror Tropically Reveal “The Shapes” Of Life

First Pitbull and now Miami Horror, I cannot get enough musical reminders that summer is here. As we quickly head into April, it seems the artists that most shine and sonically define some of the best months of our year are readying to dominate this one. So Summer 2017 I lovingly introduce Miami Horror’s The Shapes.

This EP is six tracks of white cabanas with sandy floors, palm trees dancing in sunny-wind, cocktails with umbrellas and fruit in them, and fun swimwear with enough animated figures on it to be considered a cartoon. This, of course, is just a physical description of a more spiritual feeling Miami Horror has given us in The Shapes, which is a befitting title. Each song has its own shape or form that sonically molds into your mind to create a certain imprint. Beginning with The Sign of The Times sounds like happy, “beach” song, until you listen to its poignant lyrics on our inability to stand the social “heat” currently emanating from the world. When you hear its electro- trop instrumentals ring, you would not think a song that makes you feel like moving is about how unmoved humanity is currently acting, but leave it to Miami Horror to make an ugly truth sound good.Yet, no song on the album sounds alike, even if, overall, The Shapes has a very latin/ Caribbean fusion throughout.

Azimba is a Caribbean inspired Samba that makes ANYONE dance. The beat drips with tropical arrangements/chords as if Pina Colada’s were raining from the sky/ Josh Moriarty’s guitar. Moreover, Miami Horror shows Portuguese is another language they are ready to enliven with their universally good sound as they do in Leila the Spanish Version. If “Leila” was a shape it would be a square in showing how you keep on running into corners trying to seduce a woman who has seduced you.The irony of life is that so often we want prove to someone that he or she can want us more then we want them, but as the bass and guitar bounce like a basketball across a court, you lyrically realize that Leila might be the greatest shot lead singer Benjamin Plant never makes. Yet, Plant has a voice that aces in The Shapes, especially in the song “Dark Love” , which is my favorite song because it is so 80’s I cannot STAND HOW MUCH I LOVE IT! Plant’s voice gives lax, 80’s vocal plays that make his lyrics sound like they were just awaking from bed, which is a perfect mentality for the song’s melody and theme. Considering “Dark Love” is about submission to a dark or negative lover, its another track that show Miami Horror is always positively playful in rhythm and vocals, even if not always in lyrics. You can Enjoy And Buy Miami Horror’s The Shapes Here.