Mayflower Madame – Prepared For a Nightmare (Album – Only Lovers Records / Icy Cold Records)
Genre/Influences: Post-Punk, Psychedelic-Wave.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: Four years after the debut album “Observed In A Dream” the Norwegian formation Mayflower Madame last year unleashed this new work. The album has been released as a collaboration between French labels Only Lovers Records and Icy Cold Records plus the American label Little Cloud Records (releasing the vinyl).
Content: I wasn’t familiar with this formation, but was surprised discovering a mix of 80s Post-Punk elements together with a Psychedelic guitar. The songs have something dreamy, sometimes creating a shimmering effect while still featuring some Shoegaze influences.
+ + + : It’s interesting to see how good-old Post-Punk and Dark-Wave influences can be mixed with Psychedelic guitar atmospheres. It creates an ominous sphere, which literally supports the album with some dreamy, frightening passages. “Prepared For A Nightmare” is a perfect album title to express the mood emerging at the surface. I especially like the guitar play, but still the singers’ deep timbre of voice.
– – – : A few ‘softer’ songs can’t convince me a similar way; “The Night Before” being one of these very few disillusions.
Conclusion: Mayflower Madame stands for dark reverie so there’s no better way calling your album “Prepared For A Nightmare”!
Best songs: “Swallow”, “Vultures”, “Sacred Core”, “Ludwig Meidner”.
Rate: (7).
Artist: www.facebook.com/mayflowermadame
Labels: www.onlyloversrecords.com / www.facebook.com/icycoldrecords
About Mayflower Madame
Mayflower Madame is a Norwegian trio: per the band’s own Bandcamp credits, Trond Fagernes (vocals, guitars, bass), Håvard Haga (guitars) and Ola J. Kyrkjeeide (drums), recorded at MaMa Studio in Oslo. Discogs lists the band’s chronology from “Into The Haze” (2013) through “Observed In A Dream” (2016) and “Premonition” (2018) to “Prepared For A Nightmare” (2020), released via Only Lovers Records with Icy Cold Records.
Mixing on the album was split between Bob de Wit, James Aparicio and James Trevascus, and it was mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, New York, per Bandcamp credits. The album was previewed by the singles “Vultures” and “Swallow,” both with official videos. Mayflower Madame returned in 2024 with “Insight” and discussed the album in a December 2024 interview titled “This Is Our Best Album So Far.”
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