Erland and the Carnival

jackhammer · 01-26-2010, 04:31 PM

Their S/T debut album was released yesterday to decent acclaim (not sure what shitfork thought of it, I never use them as a source) and they are a 'supergroup' of sorts, consisting of multi instrumentalist Simon Tong (formerly of The Verve / Blur / The Good, the Bad & the Queen), Orcadian folk guitarist and singer Gawain Erland Cooper and Drummer/Engineer David Nock (The Orb / The Cult / The Fireman).

The album consists of covers with many of them old British Folk standards and even a poem by one Leonard Cohen but given a new twist that takes in Pop, Freak Folk and 60's Psychedelia.

Vocalist Erlan comes across as a hybrid of Syd Barrett, Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy) and Scott Walker at his most placid. There are a couple of tracks that miss the mark but overall it's a decent slice off offbeat Pop with a 60's tinge. 'The sweeter the girl the harder I fall' is an early standout. Refreshingly listenable yet still offbeat enough to grab a few listeners outside of the usual stockpile of students and N.M.E followers.

give 'em a listen will ya?

01-26-2010, 04:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Erland and the Carnival Their S/T debut album was released yesterday to decent acclaim (not sure what shitfork thought of it, I never use them as a source) and they are a 'supergroup' of sorts, consisting of multi instrumentalist Simon Tong (formerly of The Verve / Blur / The Good, the Bad & the Queen), Orcadian folk guitarist and singer Gawain Erland Cooper and Drummer/Engineer David Nock (The Orb / The Cult / The Fireman). The album consists of covers with many of them old British Folk standards and even a poem by one Leonard Cohen but given a new twist that takes in Pop, Freak Folk and 60's Psychedelia. Vocalist Erlan comes across as a hybrid of Syd Barrett, Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy) and Scott Walker at his most placid. There are a couple of tracks that miss the mark but overall it's a decent slice off offbeat Pop with a 60's tinge. 'The sweeter the girl the harder I fall' is an early standout. Refreshingly listenable yet still offbeat enough to grab a few listeners outside of the usual stockpile of students and N.M.E followers. give 'em a listen will ya? __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”