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Review
As I write these words, Gringo Records - the Nottingham-based label who are releasing A Hat - are in the process of celebrating their 10th birthday. It's some feat for an independent label, particularly one like Gringo who have always declined to take the easy option, releasing intelligent, complex guitar/bass/drums music with apparently little care for the fickle tides of fashion. And while it's true that many of the acts on this label tend to wear their influences on their sleeve - the brittle, mathematical rock music of Shellac, Fugazi and Slint; the shimmering explosive guitarscapes of Mogwai - it hasn't stopped Gringo Records from carving out a well-deserved niche in the UK DIY rock scene.
The second full-length album from Nottingham quintet, Souvaris are certainly a Gringo band to the bone. When they play slow, as on the gentle opener ''Buffle'' or the gentle lead into ''Puny Go Stompin'', they're somewhere between super-minimal Kranky droners Stars Of The Lid or Mogwai at their most tender and prettified; when they play fast, as on ''Hand Or Fingers?'' they play the sort of savage, calculated time-signature rock that sounds like Shellac trying out a bank of Ride's effects pedals, or serene US post-rockers Tortoise on adrenaline shots.
Instrument-wise, Souvaris cast their net wide - everything from melodica to Appalachian dulcimer works its way into the design. And while there's no vocals, save for the occasional off-mike whoop or barked command, it actually transpires to be something of a blessing. Free of any lyrical themes, these quiet bass meanderings, knotty guitar unravellings, and dramatic builds possess a strange emotional content of their own that's magnified by the lack of specific, nailed-down meanings.
Best song here? Probably the wryly named closer, ''Nobody Is Fine And Everybody Needs A Drink''. Commencing with a shuffling snare march and gentle piano, it gradually builds into a stormy symphony that's both technically complex and heroically direct. Recommended. --Louis Pattison
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best of British "Post-Rock",
This review is from: A Hat Cd (Audio CD)
This album bobs and weaves, distributing beautiful melodies with intricate details throughout.
Each instrument glides around whilst being firmly teathered to the "point" creating one of the finest British albums I've ever heard. With four of the six tracks over ten minutes this is an album which must be learnt to be fully appreciated but well worth it. From a band that have only released two albums in ten years this is definately a band to watch, and talking of watching be sure to see them live which is where they really shine.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Subtle Delight,
By
This review is from: A Hat Cd (Audio CD)
This album takes a while to digest but, once you get it, it's all the more rewarding. Each piece of music follows its predecessor perfrect, creating a musical journey that is refreshing in the now all-too-stale Post Rock genre. There is a sense of great fun and playfulness about the musical which in no way detracts from the quality musicianship and compositional prowess of the band.
Key tracks: - Quit Touching My Ass - Nobody Is Fine and Everybody Needs A Drink - The young Ted Danson Highly Recommended.
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