On their self-titled (and free) EP, Menya definitely puts the pop in electro-pop, shedding some (but not all) of the transgressive energy that marked their earlier releases. There isn’t anything approaching the sex-crazed “Ripe” or “D.T.F,” but in the band’s three year evolution, they have tended more and more towards the mainstream.
Menya opens with “Awkward in Between,” which sets the tone for the album. Lead singer Angie Ripe provides sugary teen-romance vocals over bouncy beats from Good Goose. Rapper Coco Dame handles the verses on “On the Run” and “Flames;” the latter’s hook and half-sung/half-rapped formulation puts the song in similar territory to the B.o.B. / Hayley Williams megahit “Airplanes.”
Sandwiched between new compositions are updated versions of three older tunes, “Oh,” “Diana (I Heart U),” and “Loose (Is The Goose).” “Oh” and “Diana” are two of the group’s catchiest songs; including them here gives new listeners a taste of what Menya has been up to since releasing songs as NYU students. “Loose,” which has been remixed by premier Baltimore club DJ James Nasty, is upfront, in-your-face sex talk – no disco sticks, here.
[wpaudio url=”/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/menya-loose(jamesnasty remix).mp3″ text=”Menya – Loose (James Nasty Remix)” dl=1]
Menya’s East Coast tour brings them through DC this Saturday at the Velvet Lounge, where they’ll be opening for Baltimore club queen Sherrell Rowe. The trio always bring high energy to their shows, and if this EP is any indication, they’re ready to pop.
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