Mmoss has always been brilliant at balancing the tranquil with the engine-revving side of power pop and that brilliance advances on the group’s second full length release, Only Children. The album serves as a fascinating master class on how to expand a genre in order to fold in non-traditional elements, or to collapse a song into another genre entirely, all while retaining the elements it began with. There are moments of stunning clarity, gorgeous melody, and near-hypnotic ambient washes littered everywhere on Only Children. Mmoss seems to be completely in command of its craft, yet there’s still room for improvement and a lingering desire for the songs to achieve more than they do.
There’s a sense of uncertainty creeping through these songs that matches the band’s aesthetic beautifully but also serves as the record’s main drawback; a lack of complete commitment that’s present in patches. However, the big risks Mmoss takes pay off and make Only Children very worthwhile.