As a reviewer I listen to about 300-400 releases per year. Most of the stuff I hear ranges from decent to crappy with some occasional gems mixed in. Few times too often I find something unexpected that I really enjoy and go on to celebrate. This is looks to be the case to be the case with GIITAR and their sohpisitcatedly cool album Seen As Unclean.
A menagerie of influences define GITAR. The difference between these guys and your typical sub-genre blending modern bands is their deft ability to make the styles fit and flow. Hip-hop, Shoegaze, Reggae, Drum `N Bass, Rock, Jazz, Lounge, Surf Guitar, Blues, Power Pop, 80’s New Wave and other slick bits of weirdness coalesce seamlessly in a way that tells you what these guys cut their teeth on. It should sound contrived and not work at all, but somehow it does.
Tai Lee on guitar, Mikhail Galkin on everything else not nailed down trade verses,
singing or rapping and vocalizing together when needed. Dan Rios makes it a trio experience when they play live. Lee and Galkin are chameleons of sound. From the electronic 80s cool Blues of “Eyes of The World”, the tight beats of “Mr. Tourist”, or the Salsa-esque hypnotic bass thwack of “In the Pocket”, you are sucked into their sonic vortex. “Different Fathers” could give JACK WHITE or JOSH HOMME a run for their 60s Garage Punk money. “Get Low” and “Empties” have an 80’s pop sensibility to them that will make you smile. “To Move these Hands” is creepy and smooth all at once. It is my favorite track on here and a potential break out hit. “Electrical Air” is another neat slice of pop mellowness. Sometimes if feels like they could take these songs anywhere, and most of the time they do. Lyrically, GITAR is also well above your typical fare for pop-smiths. Smart, but not snarky, it’s hard to deny these amazing tracks on repeated listens.
With all these elements coming together, the “for fans of list” could grow very long indeed. I’ll toss out BECK, EVERLAST (“Whitey Ford” era), JOHN SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION, CAKE, JOHN BARRY’s soundtrack work, and the more experimental moments of THE BEASTIE BOYS would give you an idea of the level of talent we are discussing here.
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For More Information Visit:
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http://www.gitar.bandcamp.com
