Mesh

The pandemic, touring and life got in the way – but after ten years the English duo Mesh are finally back with a new album. And the wait has truly been worth it, since “The Truth Doesn’t Matter” contains some of the best and most advanced songs Richard Silverthorn and Mark Hockings have ever written, in my humble opinion.

There are a whopping 16 tracks here, and not a dud among them, although three of them serve more as links between full songs. It’s one of those albums where almost every track could be a single. And you’ve heard three singles already, with excellent bonus tracks as well. The Mesh sound is very much intact in 2026, albeit more refined and developed. It’s perhaps not as raw and “edgy” as their early material, but makes up for it with sheer songwriting skills, beautiful melodies and also excellent production, done together with long-time collaborator and synthesizer wizard Olaf Wollschläger. And there are still some dance bangers! Check out the catchy “Kill Us With Silence” or the hard-hitting “A Storm Is Coming” – a masterful display of the duo’s talent.

The overall theme is the current state of world affairs, where misinformation and “fake news” have led to people not trusting information anymore. Or perhaps trusting false information instead. Mesh offer no solution, but rather an exasperated look at the world we live in. They do however offer a sort of anthem for kindness, in the form of the album closer – and perhaps my favourite song on the album, “Be Kind”, where they extol the virtue of being kind to each other. This is sorely needed in these times when some leaders act like bullies and public discourse has turned vicious.

I love this album, and I hope it reaches outside of the quite narrow world of “dark electronic music” where they seem to be stuck. And I hope it doesn’t take another ten years for the next one.