Sinister: Watch out for rhinos with hairy feet

[eric the half a bee]

Hi y'all.

This was in last week's issue of the New York Press,
and I thought I'd pass it along, seeing as how it
might be of interest to all of you:

Music Reviews
Jessica Hundley

Ya’ll Get Scared Now Ya Hear?
Reindeer Section (pias)

What happens when a group of musicians gets drunk
together? If you live in Glasgow, play the guitar and
hang with the likes of Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai,
Arab Strap and Snow Patrol, then one debauched night
can apparently equal an overload of inspiration.
Masterminded by Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, the
Reindeer Section is a supergroup of sorts (consisting
of various members culled from the above acts) and
formed as the pleasant result of one such fortuitous
evening. After a bout of guzzling fine Scottish brews
and philosophizing about the state of music with his
fellow indie rock brethren, Lightbody woke up and
wrote the entirety of this debut album in one
jam-packed day. Less than two weeks in the studio, a
few more rounds of booze and a band was born. 

The beautiful thing about the album is that the haste
in which it was created has enhanced, rather than
detracted from, its solidity. It’s as if any
hesitation would have allowed the magic of that one
beautifully woozy night to fade in the sobering light
of dawn. Perhaps the most misleading record title
ever, Ya’ll Get Scared is as far from frightening as
one can get. Throw aside any expectations of spooky
goth rock or foreboding industrial–this is a world of
pleasantly pretty ballads and infectious pop numbers
that recall Beck’s Mutations. 

The album kicks off with a tidily constructed acoustic
love song, "Will You Please Be There for Me?" that
sets the album’s tone: vaguely melancholic, slightly
introspective and undeniably sweet-tempered. There are
a few raucous numbers (such as the back-to-back chorus
distortion on "Raindrop" and "Sting" or the near metal
thrusts of "Tout Le Monde"), but for the most part the
album steers a steady, sensitive and soulful course.
The breathy, heartfelt vocals that thread throughout
the disc create a satisfying atmosphere of longing,
but Lightbody’s plaintive lyrics keep it afloat. "Be
my hope I’ll be your hope," he sings on "If Everything
Fell Quiet." It’s as if all the yearnings and desires
of that original one drunken evening were crammed into
each of the album’s tracks. Apparently Lightbody felt
something that night, something stronger than the
Scotch ales, something he needed to scribble down in
the midst of sour mouth and throbbing head. The result
is an album that reflects the good-natured camaraderie
between talented friends. Together they have managed
to translate one night, a little booze and some good
company into music that’s as simple as it is
beautiful.

I haven't heard this album yet, but I might pick it
up... what's the verdict? I haven't heard it mentioned
too much on this here list.
that's all from me... a totally content-full post!
what an odd concept...

cheers,
eric

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