Cincinnati, what other gems are you hiding?

Having spent some time (like 8-9 playthroughs, I’d say) with the new Mockery album, Megafauna, I have to wonder what else I’m missing. The last couple years in particular have been damn impressive just with the bands I’m aware of and a fan of. So finding myself listening to another musician and release as strong as this one, it really does make me sad that I don’t have more time to dedicate solely to seeking it out on my own.

It’s possible though maybe a bit too easy to call Megafauna a throwback record, or even one that purposely wades in the warm waters of nostalgia. Yes, there’s a very specific vibe at play throughout its runtime, and I was struck at times by how much it felt like an album that shouldn’t have come out in 2024 (more on that later), but I think there’s also a lot more to it than you might initially suspect. “Soul Pop” was a new moniker for me, but I can confidently say that after a few listens, I’m hard-pressed to describe it any other way.