by STUART PITMAN

Which up and coming band draws complimentary comparisons to Coldplay and Andrew Bird?

According to reviews, the correct answer is Pale Young Gentlemen.¹ Several writers more skilled than I contend that the band’s sound closely resembles those iconic British boys and the delightfully strange sounds of the Chicago-based violinist/whistler extraordinaire. De verdad?² Really? ³ Okay, I guess a little. But, while their sounds are similar lets not overdo the comparison; let me mention a couple other bands.

To my critical ear, at least two tracks on PYG’s newest album Black Forest (Tra La La) closely recall the frantic vocals and jumpy guitars of Franz Ferdinand (unfortunately, more of a complement in 2004 ⁴) while other tightly-constructed tracks exude the confident pop-sensibility of Belle and Sebastian at their best. (In related news: similar to a back-in-the-day Killers discovery, I was surprised to learn that PYG does not originate from the other side of the pond as parts of their sound might lead the hasty to presume; rather, they hail from the United States of America, specifically her dairy land.⁵

But PYG are not copycats. On the contrary, their sound is their own and it is unique and lovely at that.

Interestingly, the album’s high and low points occur during the same song – “We Will Meet.” The cringe-worthy phrasing of first verse vocals fortunately opens into a beautiful choral lullaby which rescues and then vaults the little tune into greatness. If you buy a la carte – pick up this track; it’s the album’s best. Other stand-out tracks include “The Crook of My Good Arm” and “Our History.” The former’s sweeping guitars and driving beat represent the album’s energetic peak, and the latter showcases a brilliant Chris Martin-like falsetto. [Editors note: the Bird-like "Kettle drum (I Left a Note)" is also magnificent for its playful, dramatic presentation.]

Also, listeners certainly cannot overlook how a delicate string section heavily contributes to each song, coloring beautifully the entire album.⁶ These instruments provide remarkable depth to an already strong collection. And while, at times, the album tends to meander it does not wander off-course. While the album grow noticeably slower, as gentle guitar arpeggios underlie the serene soundscape⁷, the changes do not subvert the album’s tone or mood.

Admittedly, these softer songs didn’t immediately jump out at me⁸, but like many successful records, PYG’s Black Forest gains momentum upon repeated listens. As of the time of this writing, the group’s sheer musicality and layered sound have embedded quite happily in my psyche; indeed, PYG has seamlessly and effortlessly woven songs together that create an album whose strength lies in its melodic consistency, intricacy, and intimacy. Further, the song structures, which vary considerably, attended to this listener’s needs throughout.

In summary, Pale Young Gentlemen offers us a pleasant and mature, if not groundbreaking, album of gorgeous, melodically-advanced chamber-pop, blissfully executed by extremely talented musicians.

Footnotes:
1 Henceforth abbr. “PYG”
2 Spanish
3 Spanish to English translation (look it up)
4 Remember 2005’s You Could Have It So Much Better? Seriously, who chose that title?
5 Particular city: Madison, Wisconsin
6 A good color…like say, Yellow
7 Please excuse the sappiness
8 ‘Cause they’re subtle

Stuart Pitman lives in Iowa and is a contributing writer for Into the Hill.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 6:25 pm and is filed under Album Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.