A rising force on the international alternative scene, Canada’s Hotel Mira release their new EP following a string of promising UK dates.

By Graeme Smith

Hotel Mira are a Canadian alternative pop band consisting of frontman and songwriter Charlie Kerr, guitarist Clark Grieve, bassist Mike Noble, and drummer Cole George. Together they have supported the likes of Billy Talent, Fizzy Blood and My Chemical Romance’s Frank Lero.

They first featured on our pages in May this year thanks to their single Waste Away. It set up a string of well-received UK dates in the same month. Now they’re back with their new EP I Am Not Much Help.

The EP opens with current single The View From The Barstool and it’s a swaggering start. A punchy indie pop instrumental gets the listener moving but what stood out to me most about the track was its lyrics. They are beautifully descriptive, rendering a scene to life, and throwing in some knowable music references for good measure.

Oh Sunshine follows it with some vibrant, hard rock melancholy. Charlie’s vocals become particularly passionate during its pleading chorus and things stay darkly groovy throughout. Verona has a sense of bittersweet nostalgia during a brooding verse before its chorus become rousing thanks to its combination of percussion and electronica. The aforementioned Waste Away closes the EP with a woozy, heart-mending highlight. It’s anthemic chorus means it’s the perfect finish.

Hotel Mira are the definition of ones to watch. Their charismatic style and ability to straddle the line between rock and pop means they have everything they need to be big. Their new EP proves to be the perfect collection to showcase their sound. Every track on it is a banger.

I Am Not Much Help is out now via Light Organ Records. You can check it out below.

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