# More Great Indie Albums of 2008: ‘Bring The Lions Out’ by Melpo Mene

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2009/04/more-great-indie-albums-of-2008-bring-the-lions-out-by-melpo-mene/
- Published: 2009-04-07T00:06:00-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

[[His name is proudly not a marketer’s dream, but Sweden’s Erik Mattiason, better
known as the man behind the band Melpo Mene, is a dream of a songwriter and musician.

Melpo Mene enjoyed a spike of indie blog love last year with the release of the 
gorgeous and delightful love song titled “I Adore You.” Although many people know
the song because it was featured on a popular Volvo TV commercial last year, most
of them could not tell you who sang it. Nevertheless, the commercial helped fuel
Mene’s brush with fame. The song reminds me very much of another gorgeous song, “
Such Great Heights” by Iron & Wine (one of my favorite artists).

While some indie purists might cast Mene’s music aside simply because it was featured
in a popular television commercial, the fact is that Melpo Mene is one of the best
indie singer and songwriters of our time. The proof is in the pudding.

With rich, soothing vocal arrangements, Paul Westerburg-style melodies, pop, country
and rock infusions, Melpo Mene created one of the best under-rated releases of 2008.
His songs are sad, introspective, heart wrenching and purely delightful from start
to finish.

While “I Adore You” is a magnificent, even addictive, song that will likely be played
years from now at high school reunions, it’s surprising that the album which hosted
the track – Bring The Lions Out – received such little praise, making it clearly
one of the most overlooked albums of 2008. In fact, it could be one of the most 
under rated albums of the past decade.

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The album is a breath-taking accomplishment of magnificently composed and produced
songs featuring piano, guitar, flutes and perfect percussions on songs like the 
endearing “We Were Kids” and the alt-indie psychopop of the dreamlike “Snakes and
Lions”.

Melpo Mene’s music oozes with rich choruses, breath-taking musicianship and tinges
of electronica throughout. One intoxicating track after another easily makes Bring
The Lions Out one of those must-have albums I sometimes recommend strongly.

The song “Klick Klack Clock” sets out on a musical journey lush with layers of instruments
and a driving melody reminiscent of chamber pop mixed with folk rock. On songs like“
Under The Moon”, Mene turns to a lo-fi country rock ballad with near-whisper vocals–
think of Mojave 3.
In 2007, Mene released his stellar debut LP titled Holes (listen
to featured songs below), a potent example of an artist that would become heard,
if not by name, around the world.

Fans of Sufjan Stevens, M. Ward, Bill Ricchini, Andrew Bird and other comparable
contemporaries, are most likely to enjoy Melpo Mene’s music. And, if you’re like
me, you’ll find yourself going back to it again and again.

[[It’s frustrating when music this good doesn’t receive the huge buzz it so much
deserves. However, on the other hand, it’s good, as alluded to above, because it’s
kind of like our little secret. But this is a secret we don’t mind sharing with 
others: Melpo Mene is simply brilliant!

“I Adore You” – Melpo Mene from Bring The Lions Out
[“Jedi”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/10%20Jedi.mp3)–
Melpo Mene from Bring The Lions Out“Snakes and Lions” – Melpo Mene from Bring The
Lions Out[“Don’t Save Me”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/10%20Don%27t%20Save%20Me.mp3)–
Melpo Mene from Holes (2007)[“Wait Up”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/08%20Wait%20Up.mp3)–
Melpo Mene from Holes

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Lyrics to “I Adore You”

Lost in a daydream of blue
And I feel so freeAnd then It’s like I fall from the 
skyEverything that I see is youAnd you should know that I’mThinking about what you
saidWhen you held my hand

Oh I adore you

Now we are older and
Things disappeared somehowAnd I was thinking that maybeWe’d
stand a better chance If we met todayI find myself talking to sharksOn my way to
an island and still

I adore you
I adore youI adore you

I was young I was old
And we were in we were outI wanna see I wanna see it allI 
wanna die I wanna dieSweetheart sweetheartI thought I saw I thought I saw a lightSee
it now see it now

[Melpo Mene on MySpace](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/melpomenemusic)

[Buy Melpo Mene’s music](https://indierockcafe.com/2009/04/more-great-indie-albums-of-2008-bring-the-lions-out-by-melpo-mene/ melpomene.se)

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