LP – Limited Edition Coke Bottle Colour Vinyl. A new chapter, a new-line-up, a newly minted sound; Miki Berenyi Trios debut album Tripla is a landmark record for its three creators: Miki Berenyi, KJ Moose McKillop and Oliver Cherer. The albums richly layered, imaginative and uniquely slanted strain of dream pop is an often euphoric and sometimes melancholic mix of guitars and electronica, fronted by Mikis instantly recognisable vocal, overlaid with an often profound and sometimes abrasive or yearning view of the world. The trios dynamic beauty is illustrated by the albums lead single and opening track 8th Deadly Sin, subtly influenced by dance music but equally driven by a shoegaze-y dynamic a combination that has rarely been attempted, let alone accomplished with such finesse and a barrage of gorgeous hooks. The track is coupled with Mooses eco-protesting lyric, or as he puts it, the absolute disrespect for Mother Earth. Dyou understand the mess were in? Miki sings. So whats the plan, Action Man? / Silly boys / broken toys. Triplas second lead single Big I Am is similarly fired, lacing choppier rhythms and guitar crunch dream pop by way of Two Tone, perhaps – whilst Miki skewers the macho aggression unleashed by social media types such as Andrew Tate: Throws his weight around, living a lie / Empty victory, stereotype, clich masculine. Miki Berenyi Trio, or MB3 for short, is named after its lead singer a direct way to convey the presence of the former singer/co-guitarist of Lush, and one of the most instantly recognisable faces of the 90s – but the songwriting is entirely a three-way collaboration, as the album title describes: acknowledging the mother tongue of Mikis father, Tripla is Hungarian for triple. Miki and Moose, who came of age during the era of shoegaze and Britpop in Lush and the equally beloved Moose respectively, arrived here from Piroshka, which the couple formed in 2017 with drummer Justin Welch (ex-Elastica) and bassist Mick Conroy (Modern English). When Mick broke his arm during the tour that followed Piroshkas second album Love Drips And Gathers, in stepped Oliver, Justins bandmate in Aircooledl and an eclectic, roving solo artist, under aliases such as Dollboy and Gilroy Mere. With Mick moving to America, and Justin swamped by session work and live duties for The Jesus & Mary Chain and The Pretenders, Piroshka was put on ice, before the Miki-Moose-Oliver trio came together to play a handful of Lush songs whilst promoting her hugely acclaimed memoir Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success. A bout of songwriting sessions followed. Nothing was planned, Oliver recalls. It was more of an organic process. Likewise, the gleaming, gliding MB3 sound. Minus a drummer, the trio incorporated drum machines behind Moose and Mikis guitars and Olivers bass, which led to the addition of more electronic components. Freed too from the logistics of touring with a drumkit, MB3 have seized the chance to regularly play live, including support tours to Gang Of Four and Wedding Present (twice) plus regular headline shows, including summer 2024s US dates, supported by post-punk legends Lol Tolhurst x Budgie. Over time, Triplas songs and lyrics were road-tested and honed before the album was recorded in Olivers home studio in St Leonards and Miki/Mooses rehearsal room in North London. Deciding an album needed to be as succinct as most of the song titles and the abbreviation MB3, they stopped at nine songs, which by sheer chance, featured three tracks initiated by each member: Gango, Hurricane and Kinch (Miki), 8th Deadly Sin, A Different Girl and Manu (Moose), Vertigo, Big I Am and Ubique (Oliver). Working songtitles often stuck, like Gango, a juggernaut of a song in homage to Gang Of Four. I really liked the way their songs have all these disparate parts that eventually come together, and thats how Gango was written, Miki explains. The cinematic Manu with trumpet by Oliver – is named after two people that Moose met in quick succession; Miki named Hurricane, after the song Hurricane Fighter Plane whilst envisaging a rockier track to counterbalance Triplas electronic leanings, though the finished version fits in with the albums sculpted sound. Like the two lead singles, the whole album confronts the traumas of modern life. Alongside Big I Am, Gango laments the misogyny spread by social media. Scored for strings by Piroshka contributor (and Bella Union labelmate) Fiona Brice, Ubique also addresses the social ills created online; oversensitivity and solipsism, says Miki, when everyone thinks anything that happens in the world is a personal attack. More personal anxieties also come to light. On Mooses side, A Different Girl finds him hoping his and Mikis daughter Stella has more opportunities to fulfil her dreams than he had. A lighter note is struck by Manu, his, slightly tongue-in-cheek lyric about learning from the poets: Theyll tell us how to help us get through, he says. Or, read some fucking books! On Mikis side, Vertigo documents her first experience of depression, triggered by the menopause, whilst Kinch (Hungarian for treasure) encounters the dearly departed, including Mikis father Ivan and Lush drummer Chris Acland. Its tricky finding things that you can write about at this age without sounding maudlin – or dull! Miki notes. But we are at that age. But its not a depressing-sounding album at all, Moose vouches. A lot is really joyous. Tripla is completed by a superb mix by Paul Gregory (of Bella Union labelmates Lanterns On The Lake) and beautiful artwork by Chris Bigg – who designed the sleeves for Piroshka and contributed to all of Lushs sleeves – incorporating photography from Martin Andersen. But for all the albums heightened and sophisticated sound, MB3 have gone back to basics, not only recording at home but driving a car packed with their gear, loading in and out of venues themselves. There is something very grass roots about what were doing, says Miki. Theres no point following the announce the album, then tour, then record the next album route we just want to wring as much enjoyment out of this as we can, and hope that it resonates somewhere! Tracklist: 1.8th Deadly Sin2.Kinch3.Vertigo4.Gango5.A Different Girl6.Big I Am7.Hurricane8.Manu9.Ubique