he idea of a shoegazer revival starting up in Denmark may sound ridiculous at first, but if you give Mew a chance, your dream of it happening could just come true. Astonishingly signed to Sony affiliate Epic, this four-piece not only had their songs “Comforting Sounds” praised as a Single of the Week in the NME, but also thrown together an equally praiseworthy album to boot.

Frengers is utterly beautiful, to say the least. With the multi-textured layers created by mounds of guitar noise and pretty keyboards (thanks to some signature effects pedals), the album provides this warm and sad blanket of comfort. As much as Sigur Ros does come to mind, it’s a lot more of a complete, accessible sound, shifting from Placebo-style indie to the Cocteau Twins brand of spellbinding aura.

Singer Jonas Bjerre, of course, sounds from another world (no, he’s not really, only Denmark), with a regal tone when he belts and whispers his lyrics. Sounding part elf and part crying banshee, Bjerre magnificently owns his singing style. The way he utilizes his chords as an instrument when he hums along adds a remarkable element to the already impressive sound of the band. Some of the notes he hits as well, are something men shouldn’t be able to reach (unless kicked hard in the groin).

The overall tone of Frengers seems a rather doomed one, with the usual mish-mash of hope versus catastrophe (if you’ve heard Slowdive and Sigur Ros, you know the drill). There’s always a very quiet mood, even when the guitars scream out like kids robbed of candy. Mew seem unable to get aggressive, but that seems to be a trademark of the scene they’re bringing back.

One of the more interesting things about Frengers is the fact that Mew are from a country that rarely peeks its head out of the sand and into the music charts. Though Denmark isn’t as mysterious as say Iceland, Mew sound like they’re from another realm, possibly even heaven. With Bjerre’s unique vocals and the blissful atmospherics, a grand illusion appears in the songs. The way the guitars flutter at the beginning of “She Came Home For Christmas” are nothing short of enchanting, giving the effect of a hummingbird entering an amplifier.

Never losing its lustre, the record exceeds its wonder when it comes to the final track. “Comforting Sounds” is a slow burning, nine minute opus that anticipates an eruption of quivering colors. When the explosion of guitars does come, it’s like an aural orgasm that lasts half of the song. Imagine that bit in Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia” when it goes all ballistic, and you know what I mean.

With former Ride frontman Mark Gardener touring the world performing old Ride numbers, shoegazers seem to be in a good place at the moment. Mew are a new wave of bands that are bringing back what should be hailed as a classic era in music. Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space again, and we have four Danes to thank for that.