- Label
- Polydor
- Release date
- 24th March 2008
- Genre
- Indie
- Buy this album
- Order CD
Something really different from a supremely talented troupe
When Guillemots first arrived on the scene, citing their main influence as "birdsong" and combining a tousle-haired keyboardist/vocalist, Brazilian guitarist who drills his instrument while playing, a double-bass player and a drummer who would look more in place in Mastodon, they also gave us a great album - Through The Windowpane - which won plaudits galore and delighted listeners with a blend of wildly different and yet completely harmonious styles. New album Red is more focused and more electronically-biased, but exceeds our expectations in terms of jouyous melodies and carefully-wrought production.
Kriss Kross's slapdash race between Chemical Brothers-esque orchestral stabs and Manics-style modern wall-of-sound operatics, Standing On The Last Star's forays into Deacon Blue-esque power pop, and the momentarily sleazy, uplifting funk of Big Dog and Get Over It are key examples of this band's talent. Listen to 30 seconds or so of these songs, isolated, and you could be forgiven for thinking you've picked up an El Presidente album by mistake; but twisting, as they do, like rattlesnakes and morphing by the half-minute, they showcase a genuinely exciting proposition.
More to try: Beta Band: Hot Shots Part Deux El Presidente: El Presidente Hot Chip: Made In The Dark
