Guillemots “From The Cliffs” Fantastic
Plastic Records
Maybe this time Britpop’s really dead. Blur’s broken
up, Coldplay continues to coast on claims of neurosis and rehashes
of old singles, and the Arctic Monkeys have more in common with The
Clash than they do with Oasis. But then how do we explain an album
like Guillemots’ “From The Cliffs”?
Guillemots are a London-based group, and on their debut album,
they’ve already soaked up the best aspects of their
countrymen. From Doves, they’ve learned the importance of
atmosphere and ambience; from Coldplay (and, by extension, early
Radiohead), they’ve borrowed big guitar lines; and from
Travis, they’ve acquired the delivery of earnest pop songs.
When the mixture works, though, which is often, the band sounds
like nothing but themselves.
“Trains To Brazil” is the album’s best song.
It’s a brisk, bouncy number that unfolds with increasing
energy and catchiness. “Made Up Lovesong #43″
doesn’t fare much worse, boasting an even better melody that
singer Fyfe Dangerfield carries with just the right degree of
quivering emotion. It’s here that the Coldplay guitar
noodling makes its first appearance, however, so it’s lucky
the lyrics transcend soppy Chris Martin territory.
The band is nothing if not ambitious; the album’s fourth
track is a nine-minute ballad that stays engrossing thanks to the
band’s sonic adventurousness, passing through several foggy,
horn-driven day-in-the-life-style segues. The similarly lengthy
“Go Away” tries out squealing Radiohead rock for size
before intermittent stripped-bare vocals and horn playing.
While there’s a wealth of comparisons here, what really
separates Guillemots from the rest of their contemporaries is their
sense of curiosity. Each one of these tracks is overflowing with
sonic ideas twirling around the pop structures, and if “From
The Cliffs” is actually, as advertised, just a mini-album,
their next set of discoveries could be epic.
“”mdash; David Greenwald [email protected]