Corkonian quartet Stanley Super 800 have crafted a frequently brilliant debut album that manages to combine elements of electronica, psychedelia and good old fashioned rock ’n’ roll in one sumptuous whole. The variety of styles, bittersweet sentiments and infectious melodies compare favourably to fellow musical chameleons Badly Drawn Boy and Simple Kid.
From the swirling, insistent riff of opening ‘Rolled Up In Gold’ to the gently hypnotic sway of ‘For Today’ or the rolling lilt of ‘Starry’, complete with backwards vocals, Stan and his merry men treat the listener to a pick ‘n’ mix assortment of aural treats from their eclectic bag of tricks. Then there’s the lo-fi electronica of ‘Moonlight’, the Kraftwerk-esque robotics of ‘Voices In The Music’ and the brilliantly catchy ‘Summer In The City’, which seems destined to become an alternative anthem for the sunny season.
‘It’s All Over Now (Desolation On The Cliff Top)’ is a fairly straight-forward piano ballad, where Stan provides us with his individual take on a failed relationship, and sounds not unlike a younger Pierce Turner into the bargain. The bizarre, blackly funny ‘Revenge Of The Vinegar Man’ comes across like a twisted relative of The Velvets’ already skewed ‘The Gift’, John Cale’s Welsh burr replaced by the, eh, unique vocal stylings of Northern Irish wordsmith Jinx Lennon.
Less successful is ‘Mountain Climbing’, which combines an acoustic guitar with an in-your-face dance beat and a host of off-beat keyboard stylings to confusing effect, trying too hard to be all things to all people.
That’s the exception to the rule, however, and for the most part Stanley Super 800 have come out of left-field with a superb album that is the surprise of the year so far.