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Mr. North
Life Size (Nun's Lungs /
Uninhibited Entertainment)
by Shawna Adams

    Edgy and innovative rockers MrNorth open their debut album Lifesize with “Let Me In,” an inviting pop rock song that hints at U2, not surprising since they hail from Ireland. “Speak No Evil,” builds momentum and attitude with Adrian Mordaunt’s strong beat, Emmett O’Malley’s powerful electric guitar and biting, stream of consciousness verses. In “Start From A,” I am immediately reminded of Ours’ Jimmy Gnecco as lead singer Colin Smith lets his voice go freely and easily in the chorus. Yet on the next track, “Wastin,’” Colin refrains from stretching into high, extended notes; rather, his vocals are almost monotonous, adding to the dark mood.

“My Love” dabbles in techno with its quick and consistent drum pace and repetitive keyboarding; the focus is more on the beat in this song than in any other. “Bearded” is undoubtedly the most unique and artistic song on the album. As it begins, “I lost one”…it loses me, at first. My attention is regained three minutes into the song, however, when a transition into rap metal catches me off guard. Weird, eclectic and almost hauntingly disturbing, “Bearded” will take a couple listens to fully appreciate everything that’s going on.

The title song opens in stark contrast to “Bearded,” with a more mellow approach consisting of a gentle but upbeat rhythm and the touch of Oisin O’Malley’s piano. The song eventually builds up with the interlude of heavy guitar and Colin’s versatile vocals. The style of this song reminds me again of Ours, especially Colin’s passionate crooning toward the end.

The beginning of “Give Me Life” hints at being one of the softer songs on the album, but almost suddenly, the song picks up into a more aggressive ballad. Its style reminds me of singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw, particularly with Colin’s closing vocals. Lifesize ends on a soft note with “Bring It On,” a positive ballad that also reminded me of Gavin. With it, MrNorth successfully brings their debut work to a promising close.