Earlier this month one of my favorite local bands, Mission Zero, released their latest effort, “12345678!,” which goes off in a new direction from their previous music, although sticking with the pop-friendly vibe they’ve been rocking.
While I don’t think it tops “When the Morning Comes” for me, it certainly offers a nice showcase for the brother-sister duo, from David Keith’s drumming (the beat-heavy rhythm highlights this better than most tracks), while Chenot’s vocals shine through, with her vocals at the high end and most of the music at the lower end. Some nice vocal harmonies add well to the song, and it maintains the higher production values seen on some of their more recent releases. The video is pretty well put together too, and plays nicely off the dancing robot element that’s a classic portion of their live shows.
Admittedly, it took me a few tries to get into the song (it does have a bit of an unusual jumping off point with the counting), but I found myself warming up to it after a few listens. It’s clear their talent continues to take them in some interesting directions, and it’ll be fun to catch them perform it live later this summer with Hank & Cupcakes.