There are a few songs in recent memory that had me naturally reach for max volume (“The Apple” from VV Brown was one). Meg Myers’ new album Take Me to The Disco contains a good number of hugely cathartic songs, such as “Numb”, but “Tear Me to Pieces” may be the most potent of the bunch.
Starting off from a short double segment of metronome pace and robotic enunciation, it hits its human stride very quickly. Myers green-lights huge distortions and hits the top speed in less than 1 bar with a volcanic eruption of emotions – but one that is viscously restrained to repeatedly explode again and again later on (OK so a rhyolytic volcano).
Her voice is piercing, always angry and weary. This is definitely a product of the times. If it had been the liberal golden age of 2008, one might transmute this anger to the background track of an aggressive automobile commercial and be done with it. In the illiberal shackles of today, this is clearly a more urgent call to action. In fact her whole album and video carries that consistent theme. It’s a strong effort, and signs of better things to come.