Power pop-meets-post punk band The Meringues have officially dropped their salivatory second album, Pavlova’s Dog. Consisting of Amanda Pants and Ted Evans at the core, the eccentric Canadian duo layer raspy, pelting vocals over pop-friendly riffs and melodies provided by Jackson Baird on bass and Alastair Morrison on drums — a contrast vast, complex, yet danceable.
It’s almost as if you must first get conditioned to their sound… and once you do, it’s eternal reward.
The new 11-song LP follows the group’s self-titled debut back in 2018, containing the skate punk single “The Lottery” that ended up charting Canadian radio waves and winning ‘Best Music Video’ at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival in 2020. Quick to fame also for their quirky behavior and all-out live performances, The Meringues have refined their sound — yet retain their raw vulnerability — in Pavlova’s Dog.
Amanda Pants explains, “For this album, we wanted to take the time to go deeper with some of the songs. Really thinking about the things we wanted to say, we poured our thoughts, insecurities, emotions, and vulnerabilities into every lyric and melody. We gave ourselves the freedom to be raw and honest, to confront our innermost fears and doubts, and to embrace our quirks and imperfections.” Alastair Morrison adds, “The Meringues has been more than a band to me. They’ve supported me through tough times, including my battle with cancer. Their unwavering support made it easy to return to drumming and continue where I left off.”
So let’s talk Pavlova’s Dog. Track one is the leading single off the album “Shambles”, which is exactly where my ego is at after hearing the opening lines: “You say, you say // I’m so loud and annoying // You say, you say // I can only be trusted as far as you can throw me.” The Meringues ask to get cut some slack, they’re doing their best. If you want to diss us, we’re “glad you wanna leave”.
The Meringues don’t need a pedestal — they just need a microphone.
And maybe some power chords, as in the second track “Medusa”. In a much more punk rock and psychedelic vein, “Medusa” marches through your eardrums like a rallying cry. The fast action continues with “Nvr Rlly Hnst”, an ode to the pathological, the “tragic”, the drama. The next track, “Phantom”, is packed with 90s guitar-forward rock vibes — fitting nostalgia to its title. “I gotta hide my broken personality… I gotta play when I get stitches on my neck and on my back…” It’s like Frankensteining a fractured psyche back together… and The Meringues have the thread.
The album continues with “Royalty” — the second single off the album.
Synthy, punchy, and pop-infused, it’s quite a catchy little diddy. You can’t choose who you’re attracted to, even if they are in a league of their own. Up next is “Time To Breathe”, which, ironically, doesn’t give listeners a split second of peace. The recurring theme of peoples naysaying is riddled throughout this track and the next, with Pants and Evans insistent that they’re not going to change any modicum of their existence. Better luck next time… or never.
But, turns out, this devil-mar-care obsession with boredom and freedom and apathy can be “A.I. (Actually Incredible)”, as The Meringues note in track 10. Last up is “70 Lemon Trees”, the fastest paced song on the whole album. Sour, sweet, the track is deliciously refreshing any way you take it.
Pavlova’s Dog is now out on all digital outlets as of September 16th, as well as on limited edition first-run vinyl (for audiophiles who want that super scruffy skate punk sound, I highly recommend the latter). For more information or to grab your copy now, visit the links below.
The Meringues – “Royalty”
The Meringues – “Shambles”
Track listing:
- Shambles
- Medusa
- Nvr Relly Hnst
- Phantom
- Royalty
- Time to Breathe
- Speed
- Invicible
- Outta Time
- A.I. (Actually Incredible)
- 70 Lemon Trees
Listen to ‘Pavlova’s Dog’ album:
Cover photography by Kaufmann Photography
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Disclaimer: All views presented in this album review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Top Shelf Music.
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