MESEN AROUND
Mesén Around is an indie music project based in the greater Philadelphia area. It’s the
solo project of well-known singer-songwriter Brandon Mesen. Before adopting the
playful moniker, Mesen, originally from the town of West Chester, performed and
recorded under his own name for several years. Mesén Around has played at popular
venues all around the area, including Connie’s Ric Rac, Bourbon & Branch, Kung Fu
necktie and Mad Rex. He’s also been featured on several indie radio stations throughout
the years. He takes influence from artists everywhere, and dedicates himself to
collaborating with as many people involved in music as possible, demonstrating all that
can be achieved when people of similar interests and aspirations work together. Mesén
Around’s sound is extremely approachable for all fans of the indie and lo-fi genres,
combining his brilliant guitar playing and vocals with electronics, effects, monologues,
and ambient soundscapes.
Mesén Around’s latest release is the eleven-track album Sex in the Sky, which dropped
just a few days ago on October 19 th . This album gives the listener a raw, intimate
aesthetic, and song structure that makes use of unique chords in a way similar to artists
like King Krule. The track “I Can’t Feel You” is really chill, and makes use of multiple
layers of guitars to compliment Mesen’s great singing voice, all topped off with a fun
steel drum sounding synth. “Sleep Walking” has a groove that combines raw, unique
chord progressions a la King Krule with a vibe similar to The Dark Side of the Moon. An
extremely high point of this album is “My Crazy Diamond,” a bluesy, intimate, and
moving track with a carefully crafted melody in the spirit of one of Analog Rebellion’s
slower songs. The instrumental “My Friend?” has the guitar elements of an early Iron &
Wine tune, with some spacey synths coming in to open things up and make it feel modern
and unique. Although the album in its entirety is relatively short, the music making up
that span is beautiful and well crafted.
Currently, Mesén Around is on the performance grind playing a variety of venues and
house shows. His most recent gig was at a house venue called The Soda Bar near Temple
University in Philly, alongside Dyce and the Law and Goggin.
10/21/18