The darkness of mental health turmoil and a careful, creative fusion of gritty UK rap, DnB, pop and even metal – a refreshingly honest, engaging and original take on AI-assisted production… Alexis Auno captures the essence of mental health treatment and the severity of its failures, with this gripping collection of songs inspired by his fourteen-year-old daughter.
Melt Down begins with an unignorable hip hop and rock-fusing anthem that’s performative and thrilling, heart-breaking and angry; captivating. Think Ren with a twist of Plan B, grime, rock, punk, metal, Bring Me The Horizon, only with lyrics that were 100% written from the mind and experience of Alexis Auno.
The song is intense, holds attention throughout fast bars and emotional poignancy, and resolves well with a catchy and sadly relatable chorus. If the mental health support systems or the NHS have impacted you or a family member, or if depression, anxiety, psychosis or mental struggle have swamped your days, Tried Then Snapped is one to navigate carefully, but is perhaps one of the most brilliantly authentic portrayals out there.
Next we move into an indie-pop ballad of quiet poetic contemplation, for another story that fascinates. Mask Off is mainstream-ready in melody and production, but the lyrics again are incredibly powerful, clever and compelling; contemporary and unique.
Twelve songs in full make up Melt Down, an album loaded with intensity and desperation, weight and softness in equal parts. I’m Not Fine is a piano-led outcry that begs to connect, a gut-wrenching take that’s hopeless then gritty, and features a great arrangement to support an evocative flow.
Look At Me brings back that opening contrast between high-tempo dance beats, rap, rock and sheer performative escapism and passion – another unignorable highlight. Then we get the piano, the acoustic intimacy, the isolation and lostness of a perhaps more accessible and moving Lying Awake (Damaged).
There are clear creativity threads now, beats and tones, the character, the feelings and stories, the production, which keep Melt Down grounded by its own sense of purpose and all-consuming struggle.
Self-harm and fake smiles pour through for the rise and fall of Invisible Battles, painful topics cleverly juxtaposed by a rather anthemic indie-pop and rock set-up. Then for Used we enter an emo-trap alternative realm that reflects upon the impact of other people and the supposed support systems that often fall short. Wide Awake, Wound Open follows with a fine bit of composition and genre-fusion to double-down on the turmoil.
The title-track Melt Down is insanely attention-grabbing, theatrical but loaded with the real ache, angst and anger scattered throughout these stories and encounters. Contrast again works its magic well, from the softness of piano to the darkness and scream of metal and warped dubstep. Then for Still Here, a more cinematic and spoken introduction is quick to recapture wandering minds. This one is difficult to face, and isn’t ideal for those currently feeling the devastation and desperate longing of mental difficulty.
However, as we move through Will I Ever Feel Normal, and finally, the rather beautiful Angel Static, a glimmer of essential hope returns – a sense of brightness, possibility, a quietness or stillness that follows. It’s uncertain what this ending represents, the moments of relief can be fleeting, and the end could be the end of pain or the end of it all, but it’s yours to determine; once you connect with the depth and direction of Melt Down.
Whatever your opinions of using AI to make music, the opportunities it grants people to express their experiences and feelings who otherwise couldn’t are undeniable. Alexis Auno has kept this album focused, built a persona that’s enthralling, consistent, comforting and fierce, and the album tackles the systemic challenges and intense friction and isolation of mental health battles amongst youths in the UK; an invaluable topic. which definitely needs a hell of a lot more attention and discussion.
Melt Down follows on from the first album School Days, and relays experiences of counselling sessions and how things went from bad to worse. It’s raw, unfiltered and unafraid, and it’s now yours to consider and contemplate.
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