THE MEZZ TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH BRAND NEW SINGLE

SINGLE REVIEW | THE MEZZ – SLEEPING IN CARS by Anne Kelly

Starting as it means to go on, 2025 presents yet another exciting new release; this time from Oxford trio, The Mezz and their brand new single ‘Sleeping In Cars‘.

‘Sleeping In Cars‘ follows on from November’s ‘Last One Running‘ back in November, and is described as taking a trip down memory lane. Frontman Benji Comley (vocals/guitar) explains,

“Sleeping In Cars is a song about our childhood. We grew up in a working class town, and this song is a reflection of being a kid in these towns in the early 2000’s. In the verses you will hear tales about being a child coping through school days to Christmas time, in a nostalgic trip for everyone that grew up in that similar environment with the same types of characters around them.”

Completing The Mezz with Benji is Charlie Emmons (drums) and Mikey White (bass) who all share the same sentiment of nostalgia found in ‘Sleeping In Cars‘. Mikey even transformed his childhood living room into a DIY live studio in an attempt to capture the timeless sound of yesteryear.

“In the choruses you see the protagonist dreaming of change as most kids do, only to find out when it
(growing up) finally comes, those are the moments you miss the most.”

Taking heavy inspiration from the era they recall, ‘Sleeping In Cars‘ drives on a melodic curve reminiscent of the sounds of early 00’s indie bands (Snow Patrol, Keane), but with an alternative twist more likely found in the columns of Kerrang circa 2005 (The Used, Funeral For A Friend). There’s lots of nice grooves lurking, but generally it’s all a bit samey throughout and doesn’t really hit the mark I was anticipating until the final 30 seconds. I feel as though the track’s intended sentiment requires a bit more passion to pull off the desired effect and whilst it’s a good song, it doesn’t really stand out for me. On the flip side, I appreciate how effortlessly the vocals are carried by the tracks steady rhythm and being a teen tragedy of that era myself, the comforting rustic tones are resonating.

This is my first encounter with the Oxford trio and whilst I wasn’t completely sold at first listen, I reckon this track will really shine in a live setting. And just as well because after a monumental 2024 which saw them performing at the likes of Isle Of Wight Festival and Years End, The Mezz expect 2025 to be even bigger. Teasing their very first headline tour, unannounced festival appearances and of course, more new music, 2025 could be a real game changer.