By J. Brown

“O plunge your hands in water
Plunge them up to the wrist;
Stare, stare in the basin
And wonder what you’ve missed

[…]

O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbor
With your crooked heart.”

These two stanzas are taken from my favorite poem, W.H. Auden’s “As I walked out one evening.” So it was to my surprise and delight that these words formed the basis of a song called “Plunge” that I stumbled upon by the young band Melodica, Melody & Me, a 6-piece folk/roots group from South London with a completely original, fresh, as well as very British take on modern folk.

The group’s debut EP, Piece Me Back Together, came out on July 12^th and it should not only gain the band a legion of new fans but also indicates that the group is off to a strong start with such a solid debut. Melodica, Melody & Me has already toured with such notable artists as Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn, and now Bombay Bicycle Club. The vocals of each song fall to singers Anna and Huw, who complement each other very well on each track and give the band a unique sound as they trade off between male and female vocals. Their sound is somewhat reminiscent of Beirut, a less-rollicking Bombay Bicycle Club, Stornoway, and co-lead singer Huw has a voice that is remarkably similar to Johnny Flynn. Simply put, the music and words are lyrical, charmingly thoughtful, sweetly affecting, and beautifully arranged.

melodica, melody + me – Plunge

This band is lucky to have supported such well-regarded artists with devoted followings so early in their musical careers, but their talent is more than up to the task, suggesting it won’t be long before this band is the headliner. Based on the debut EP, I’ll be eagerly anticipating the debut album next. For now, you can only catch them on tour in the UK. For more information, visit their MySpace here and you can order the EP off Amazon or iTunes.