Medway’s Treasures of Mexico returned earlier this year with their third album ‘Burn The Jets’ (Spinout Nuggets). Following their 2018 indie-pop masterpiece ‘Everything Sparks Joy’, it has vocal contributions from Jetstream Pony’s Beth Arzy and was recorded at Jim Riley’s Ranscombe Studios.
Image and artwork courtesy of Spinout Nuggets.
Five years ago, ‘Everything Sparks Joy’ cut through a Brexit-dominated landscape with the indie pop-perfect ‘Supercute’ and resplendent ‘Avalanche’. Remarkably, in 2023, society feels worse than it did back then. Client media, concocted culture wars, and eye-watering interest rates have flooded our lives. Can the Treasures of Mexico save us from the gloom once more?
Leading the charge are ‘Days With A “Y” In’, ‘Beaming’, and ‘Servant To The Seasons’. The former leans into the indomitable spirit of their former band The Dentists and the formidable guitars of Norman Blake roaring their way to the light. The hazy lo-fi tinge gives proceedings a sense of agitation yearning to break free, which the ecstatic organ solo does with gusto. ‘Beaming’ gently dazzles like Real Estate playing Byrds songs. On ‘Servant To The Seasons’, despite the moments of distrust and doubt (“id like to say we’d be ok but that depends on you….here we are again”), they conjure a melody doused in gorgeousness. Bob Collins' jingle-jangle guitars inject the lush world of Felt with a dose of Mood Six and The Fanclub’s urgency.
Mark Matthews’ exemplary ability to manoeuvre darker discourse alongside Collin’s joyful playing continues on ‘Halo’. Matthews’ sarcasm (“I see you polish halo”) descends into bitterness in the second verse:
“I see you feeding your ego / I feel you trampling over me / Your arrogance running free”
The angelic Cocteau Twins-esque keys are accompanied by guitars which swell with frustration to bursting point. ‘Halo’ is so subtle yet masterful in highlighting a relationship's bespoke nuances and how they fracture and repair.
Then, on ‘Monday Morning’, Treasures of Mexico find a career-best song. Matthews’ vocal hits upon an elegance and reverence in this tale of a lost soul. As Matthews decrees “you’ve lost that loving feeling and what you believe in”, you can feel an embracing arm around the shoulder through his tired but loving notes. Matthews goes on to dissect the protagonist’s precarious life with such affection and aching beauty that few will be tear-free as he sings:
“you had a heart of gold that gave so much, but someone melt it down / took all you empathy, they stole your smile and turned it upside down”
Collins’ astonishing solo follows to blow melt even the coldest of hearts. He should be a national treasure! Emotive. Escapist. Ecstatic.
Three albums in, Treasures of Mexico show no signs of tailing off. ‘Burn The Jets’ is a heartfelt slice of guitar joy that all should bask in.
Click the image below for tickets to see them, The Claim and Jasmine Minks in Brighton:
