noWax

This cutesy pop created by three wonder boys in Sunderland (UK) is quite something to behold. Most of the tracks notch in at around three minutes creating an album of a mere 31 minutes. But when the album finishes you find it quite hard to believe, as it feels like only five minutes has passed. This isn’t a criticism though more an observation on how well they craft songs together and how busy the sound is, speeding up, slowing down, jumping this way and that like an overexcited puppy. They have managed to merge the smoothness, rhythms and harmonies of Steely Dan with some contemporary left-field production techniques. Whispering backing vocals or beat boxing is not synonymous with this kind of pop but it all seems to fit in like a tiger in the jungle.

One of the singles ‘A House Is Not Home’ has lush strings that build in a way not dissimilar to Belle and Sebastian. Most of the tracks are loaded with a plethora of different instruments from accordions to keyboards, to harmonicas plus more strings than you can shake a stick at as well as all manner of percussion devices. The vocals and singing style all have a 1970s feeling about them, the sometime Beach Boys harmonies mixing in well with the indie production values that are in a tighter Animal Collective vein. The lyrics are all of a pretty dark mentality. Talking about being disenchanted and dislocated with the modern world. The marriage of this slightly negative slant with the pretty positive poppy production is a nice one and brings comparisons of early ‘70s Beach Boys, where it sounds attractive but is actually pretty bleak.

Tones Of Town is the second album by this group, who are definitely one to watch. It’s a clear step up from the last one in terms of sound and structure. The harmonies no longer dominate in the way they did with their first release and the sound now is a lot more progressive. Prog pop some might say. But I don’t think we need any more genres do you?